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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26376985">Just An Intern</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/kingdomfaraway/pseuds/kingdomfaraway'>kingdomfaraway</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Anger, BAMF Peter Parker, Emotional Manipulation, Gen, Hurt Peter Parker, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Precious Peter Parker, Secret Identity, Social Media, Spiderson &amp; irondad, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 08:06:29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>50,397</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26376985</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/kingdomfaraway/pseuds/kingdomfaraway</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Peter Parker doesn't want attention, he doesn't need it. But when paparazzi catch him going to his internship at Stark Towers, he's suddenly thrown into the limelight. Dealing with the increasing attention both in real life and on social media, Peter feels abandoned by Tony Stark, the man whose fault this whole thing really was.</p><p>As Peter's emotions escalate, it seems that someone might be lurking around, ready to take advantage.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Peter Parker &amp; Tony Stark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>121</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>488</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I'm so very excited to finally post this story. I've been working on it for a few weeks now and I'm really happy how it's turned out so far! </p><p>A quick thanks to my sister for reading it over and giving me feedback when I needed it.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Contrary to popular belief, Peter actually enjoyed slow nights. Sometimes it was just nice not to have to deal with criminals and help people do mundane things like carrying someone’s bags up several flights of stairs or offering to play catch with someone’s dog in the park. Those types of things might seem like useless use of his powers, but they also provided Peter with a sense of connection to the people in his favorite city. </p><p>That and he really, really liked dogs. </p><p>Just as Peter made his way back to the alley he’d left his backpack in, Karen gave his 30 minutes til midnight alarm, signifying his usual weekday curfew. It wasn’t too unusual that he was early, especially on slower nights. It was nice to come home and surprise May, she still had the habit of waiting up for him, no matter how many times Peter insisted he was fine.</p><p>He took off his mask, secure in knowing no one would be able to see him. His hair awkwardly matted down onto his head with sweat, it was a warm April night out, he had the coolers going pretty high in the suit but they did nothing to cool his head down. He stretched his arms above his head, listening as his shoulder popped. He pulled his arms back, getting a fuller stretch. Thanks to the spider bite he developed hyperextension in almost all of his joints, it was a neat party trick to show off and it especially annoyed Mr. Stark when he did it too. He could practically see the man’s wince without him even being there. </p><p>He grabbed his backpack from its spot still stuck to the side of a dumpster. He’d promised May and Mr. Stark he’d stop doing things like this - eventually. He was getting much better at hiding the backpack and stopping it from getting stolen. He smacked the spider emblem on his front, the suit went lax and he pulled his arms out of it. He bent down and rummaged through his backpack to find the t-shirt he’d shoved back in. Just as his fingers grabbed onto the fabric, his phone went off, loudly, Black in Black echoing in the quiet alley.</p><p>He had to give up on the shirt and rummage for the phone until he was able to grab it and answer.</p><p>“Hi Mr. Stark,” he said brightly into the phone, holding it against his cheek with his shoulder. He grabbed the shirt again and tried to pull it over his head while still balancing the phone.</p><p>“I tried Karen but she didn’t answer. You out of your suit already?”</p><p>“Yeah,” Peter answered, wiggling out of the suit completely and going for his jeans. “I’m changing.”</p><p>“In an alley.”</p><p>“Yup,” he said and almost dropped the phone as he pulled up his jeans. He caught it at the last second and then went to pull his shoes on, leaning against the dumpster to keep balance. </p><p>Mr. Stark let out a loud sigh. “The number of grey hairs I've gained in the little time I’ve known you…,” he trailed and then cleared his throat. “I’m calling about this weekend.”</p><p>“Oh,” Peter said, once his shoes were on, he shoved his suit into the backpack. He stood up fully behind the dumpster, dressed and ready to go head the few blocks home. “What about this weekend?”</p><p>Peter knew he sounded disappointed with the question. Mr. Stark had promised to take him up to the Avenger’s Compound for what would be his first time since not joining the team. He’s supposed to meet everyone officially, as both Peter Parker and Spider-man. The decision came from a long discussion with Mr. Stark about his actual role in the superhero world. While he still wanted Peter to stay low to the ground, it was better if the Avengers knew who he was just in case. Peter wasn’t going to turn down the opportunity to meet them, even if it meant telling them his secret identity. </p><p>“I’m canceling,” Mr. Stark answered, he did sound a little sorry about it. Peter started walking down the street. “Something important came up.”</p><p>“A mission?” He asked hopefully. “Can I come?”</p><p>“Not a mission,” Mr. Stark started and then a loud sound interrupted him. “Dammit. Sorry kid. I have to go. I’ll call you later.”</p><p>He hung up before Peter could say anything else. </p><p>Peter took the phone from his ear, as Mr. Stark’s name disappeared from the screen. A few text messages from Ned and one from May were left in its place. He knew realistically that Mr. Stark wouldn’t just cancel on him for no good reason, but it still bothered him. He’d been working hard since the whole Vulture thing to show Mr. Stark how much he’d improved and learned. He couldn’t help but feel like Mr. Stark might be embarrassed by him, that he’s just some nerdy kid wearing spandex.</p><p>When the Rouge Avengers were allowed back into the fold, he did the best he could to stay away and let Mr. Stark settle things. But now, things have settled. It’d been months, the Avengers were on good terms and now Peter wanted to be a part of it. He was waiting for the chance to prove himself, he’d been close to the opportunity and now it was just gone.</p><p>It made him feel like he was just a replacement for the old Avengers and as soon as they came back, Peter wasn’t all that important anymore.</p><p>Peter tried to squash the thoughts as he walked home. It had been a good night, he just needed to keep remembering that. </p><p>+</p><p>Peter spent the weekend in between being annoyed and trying not to be. He was expecting Mr. Stark to at least call him again and maybe explain why’d he had to cancel but no such luck. He kept his ear to the ground, waiting to hear about some Avenger level mission, but that never came about either. Instead, he spent most of the time with Ned, lamenting over his lack of meeting the Avengers. </p><p>On Monday’s Peter usually went to the Stark Tower for some “internship” things. It was mostly updating or upgrading his Spidey tech. There still isn't an official internship but it was more contact with Mr. Stark then Peter expected. He had secretly hoped it would go from once a week to maybe twice, but he didn’t dare ask.</p><p>“Are you going to the tower tonight?” Ned asked him as they sat in their last period. </p><p>Peter twirled the pencil between his fingers. “Think so. I haven’t heard from him, he usually tells me when he has to cancel.”</p><p>“Sucks about the weekend,” Ned said with a pout, he leaned his chin on his hand. “Maybe this weekend you’ll get to go!”</p><p>“Eh,” Peter said, “We already have plans and I don’t want to ditch you.”</p><p>“Really? Dude, our movie marathon can wait an additional week,” he lowered his voice for once, “The Avenger thing is so much more important.”</p><p>Peter snorted. It might seem like that, but the more Peter had to wait, the less important he felt about it. If Mr. Stark didn't seem to care, then why was Peter caring so much about it? </p><p>“You know what May said, I can’t let the internship get in the way of being a teenager.”</p><p>It was Ned’s turn to snort. “You only use that excuse when it’s to your advantage,” Ned teased. The bell rang and both Peter and Ned started towards their lockers. “I promise not to be mad if you ditch me this weekend,” Ned continued their conversation as they walked.</p><p>“I’m not gonna ditch you, so don’t worry.” </p><p>They finished up at their respective lockers before meeting up again and walking out the front doors. Peter automatically scanned over the street and was surprised to see the familiar black car parked. “Huh,” he said, “guess I'm going to the tower today.”</p><p>He said goodbye to Ned and headed over towards the car. He could see Happy sitting in the driver’s seat, he must have seen Peter in the side view mirror because he waved his hand out the window. Peter opened the back door and slid in.</p><p>As if on cue, Peter’s text messages went off, he looked to see a message from Mr. Stark.</p>
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</div><p>Peter didn’t answer, instead, he dropped the phone down on the seat next to him. He’d never been in Mr. Stark’s labs by himself before, the thought was … nerve-racking. What if he did something bad? What if he messed something up? </p><p>The fact that Mr. Stark didn't seem to mind, wasn't all that comforting to him.</p><p>He decided to spend the 20 minute car ride to the tower scrolling through social media instead of thinking about it anymore.</p><p>When they arrived, Happy pulled up to the front of the building and Peter didn’t move. Happy rolled down the partition. “This is your stop.”</p><p>“Uh, sorry. You usually take me to the back entrance…,” he trailed, looking out of the window. There were a lot of people on the street including a few paparazzi. It was one of the reasons Peter liked going in a back way, no one was ever around. There were a few already aiming their camera at the car, they must have assumed Mr. Stark was inside. Peter still hesitated, his hand on the door handle. </p><p>“Don’t have time, I’m already running behind to get the boss and you know how much he hates waiting like a normal peasant.”</p><p>“Yeah, okay,” Peter said and opened the door, he turned to say goodbye to Happy but the partition was already up. Peter took a deep breath and stepped out of the car. The paparazzi had started taking photos but stopped when they realized it wasn’t Mr. Stark. One of them shouted a question out and it made him flinch. He pushed the car door shut, a little too hard, the loud noise drew in more attention from the people on the street. </p><p>He put his head down and made a beeline to the front door of the building, hands shoved into his jean pockets. He already had his headphones in, but didn't bother putting on music for the walk. He just had to look as unassuming as possible and try not to draw any more attention to himself than he already did. One of the paparazzi continued to question him, Peter ignored it, keeping his eyes away from the guy. Once he made it inside, he breathed a sigh of relief. </p><p>He’d been in the main lobby a few times, but it was still an intimidating thing. It was almost 5:00 and there was still a fair amount of people walking around. Peter made his way towards the elevator doors, walking past a group of businessmen holding briefcases. The few times he’d gone in through the front, he’d had Happy with him and no one took a second glance at them. Now it seemed like everyone was eyeing him. He immediately felt like he didn’t belong like everyone looked at him and knew he wasn’t supposed to be there. </p><p>There was a large receptionist desk to the right of the elevator entrance, he tried to avoid looking at them. He didn’t want to be stopped, he just wanted to get up and to the lab as quickly as possible.</p><p>He pushed open the glass doors and made his way to the last elevator on the right. The lab was at the very top, just below the penthouse. There was only one set of elevators that went that high, the last two in the back.</p><p>“Excuse me.”</p><p>Peter heard a voice calling behind him as he stopped in front of the elevator doors. He turned around to see a tall man in a security outfit strolling up to him.</p><p>“Um,” Peter started, he turned his backpack around, scrambling for the front zipper. He didn't need his ID badge when he came in the backway, there was a biometric scan on that side and FRIDAY knew him. </p><p>“I don’t know what you think you’re doing young man, but the tower is not open to the public.”</p><p>“Um,” Peter said, trying not to sound like he was 12, as he reached into the backpack’s front pocket. “I work here.”</p><p>The security guard laughed, a loud chuckle that made the group of people waiting on the other elevator look over at them. “I don’t think so. Now come with me.”</p><p>He finally got his hands around the ID badge. “I’m an intern.”</p><p>He pulled the badge out and showed the guard. It was an oddly plan looking badge, a very horrible picture of Peter, along with this name and “Intern” underneath it. The security guard reached out for the badge and Peter let him take it. He looked it over, flipping it to the backside and then back to the front.</p><p>“I don’t know,” he said slowly before looking up at Peter. “Come with me.”</p><p>“You can ask Happy Hogan,” Peter jumped in, “Um. He knows me, he just dropped me off.”</p><p>“Mr. Hogan,” the security guard said very firmly, “is currently busy.”</p><p>“I know,” Peter answered, realizing it probably didn’t help his believability very much. “He's the one that dropped me off and now he's going to pick up Mr. Stark."</p><p>If the security guard didn’t believe him before, he clearly didn’t believe him now. “Come with me,” he said sternly. Peter had a moment where he thought about just hitting the elevator button and going up anyway. FRIDAY would recognize him and the guy would have to believe Peter then but he also didn’t want to cause any problems.</p><p>Instead, he sighed and nodded his head. “Where are we going?”</p><p>“You’re going home. I’m taking you to wait at reception until someone can come and get you,” he started and waited until Peter started to walk forward before walking alongside him. Peter made a gesture to get back the ID but he pocketed it. “And you're not getting your fake badge back either. I’m going to have to report this to Mr. Hogan himself. He won’t be happy knowing some punk kid tried to fake a badge.”</p><p>Peter could feel the blush sweep over his face. There was no way he was going to call May to come to get him, she was busy at work. There was no one else he could call. “Really,” Peter tried as they walked past the glass doors, the guard put his hand on Peter’s back guiding him down to the right. “I’m an intern here. Call Happy, I promise he’ll explain everything.”</p><p>“Nice try punk, there are no internships at SI, for kids. You should have done a little more research before you came here. And on top of that, Mr. Hogan doesn't go around picking up and dropping off kids."</p><p>They walked to the front reception desk, there were a lot of people looking at them now. He tried to think if anyone else could vouch for him, maybe Ms. Potts, they’d met a few times but she might not even be here. “Can’t you, like look me up? FRIDAY knows who I am, she’ll be able to tell you.” </p><p>Peter was feeling more embarrassed by the minute, he knew his face as a deep shade of red. The woman at the reception desk gave him a sympathetic smile as the security guard started to explain his presence. He had a thought to call Happy or Mr. Stark but he really didn’t want to bother them right now. </p><p>He fished his phone from his pocket. “I’ll call someone to come get me,” he said softly. He started to scroll through the very small number of names. He wondered if he could get away with lying and saying his parents were going to pick him up outside. He hovered over the last text string he had with Happy, he could text the guy and just wait until he came back with Mr. Stark. Didn’t he say it’d only take 10 minutes or so? </p><p>He was just about to text him when he heard a familiar voice coming from the front doors. Both to his happiness and horror, Mr. Stark started to walk towards him, with Happy trailing behind.</p><p>“Uh,” he started, when Mr. Stark was close. </p><p>“What are you doing?” he questioned when he arrived. The security guard looked at him with very wide and worried looking eyes. Peter looked beyond Mr. Stark to see the paparazzi up against the glass walls, cameras in hand. He moved to the right a little, effectively hiding behind Mr. Stark. </p><p>“Um,” Peter said, feeling stupid. He tried to think of a way to say something without getting the security guard in front of him in trouble. It wasn't his fault that this was happening, he was doing his job.</p><p>“He was trying to use the private elevator, sir,” the security guard started, “but I stopped him.”</p><p>“And why would you do that?”</p><p>“He’s a child, sir.”</p><p>“I can see that and this child just so happens to be my intern. Did he not show you his badge?” He asked and then turned to Peter. “Did you forget your badge?”</p><p>“Uh, no Mr. Stark. Um, he has it?” He gestured to the security guard who held the badge back out to Peter. He took it. “Thanks.”</p><p>“Ah, that’s settled. Why don’t you finally head up to the lab, Pete? I just want to have a conversation with,” he paused and squinted at the badge the security guy had on, “Mr. Rubio.”</p><p>Peter gave Mr. Rubio a sympathetic look before making his exit and heading back towards the elevators. He hoped that Mr. Stark didn’t fire him. It wasn’t his fault Peter looked like a twelve year old sneaking into the most expensive tower in the city. </p><p>+</p><p>The sound of Peter’s phone invaded his pleasant dream. He opened one eye, looking at the phone charging on the nightstand. It was vibrating and lighting up with an alarming frequency. He sighed and grabbed it, hovering it above his face, squinting as he opened the text messages blowing up his phone.</p>
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</div><p>Peter knew what he was going to see, he just knew it. He opened Twitter and sure enough, one of the first tweets was one retweeted by Ned. There were already several replies, most of which were talking about how "cute" and "adorable" Peter looked. The rest seemed to agree with The Daily Bugle's assessment that he was secret Mr. Stark's love child.</p>
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</div><p>Peter followed the link to the article, he was hoping his name wasn’t already known and sure enough the whole thing was 99% speculation. The pictures of him in the lobby of Stark Tower weren’t that bad, you couldn’t really tell what was happening. You could only see Tony clearly, Peter was just half hidden by the man. However the photos of Peter walking into the building were very clear, anyone who knew Peter could recognize him immediately. </p><p>A new text message from a number he didn’t have saved came up a second later.</p>
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</div><p>He saved Ms. Pott’s number on his phone before putting it back down and laying back in his bed. His alarm was due to go off in 15 minutes, but there was no way he’d go back to sleep now. This was exactly what he had always worried about when it came to the internship stuff. He didn't want people to know about it and didn't want unneeded attention. All it took was someone looking into Peter Parker just a little and who knew how fast they could connect the dots to Spider-man. </p><p>After a minute or two of self-pity, he got out of bed and went into the kitchen. May was already sitting at the table, coffee cup in hand.</p><p>"Morning,” he said and took a seat next to her and laid his forehead on the table. He could hear May’s amused laugh.</p><p>“I take it you saw the internet this morning.”</p><p>“You too?” He turned his head to look at her. She was smiling over the cup of coffee. “It doesn’t bother you?”</p><p>She shrugged, he sat up in his chair as she spoke. “Pepper called me this morning to talk it over. I’m surprised things didn’t leak sooner, Stark usually doesn’t hang out around high schoolers. I know the attention isn’t your favorite, but Pepper seems like she’ll get things squared away. Is it really bothering you?”</p><p>He shrugged. “Yes and no. I mean, I don’t care that much if people know… I just don’t want them to find out about Spider-man.”</p><p>May took a sip of coffee. “I’m sure we’ll discuss all of this at the Tower after school.”</p><p>“Us?” He questioned squinting his eye at her. He could not picture May being at the Tower. It just seemed… so out of place. He didn't intentionally keep her away, but he also didn't want anything he did as Spider-man to get in her way. He should have realized at some point, she'd have to go there. It wasn't like she hadn't met and talked with Mr. Stark and Happy already.</p><p>“You didn’t think I wouldn’t be there to talk about things? I’m meeting with Pepper beforehand, we’re going to go over some legal documents since we didn’t do any of that for your internship in the first place. Might as well make it even more official.”</p><p>“Oh, yeah, that sounds good.” </p><p>“Don’t worry, baby,” May said to him softly, Peter hated when she had the concerned look on her face. He hated making her worry, that’s all he ever did anymore.</p><p>He smiled back at her, the best he could manage. </p><p>+</p><p>Happy made sure to take Peter in the back entrance and into the underground private parking lot. There were a lot more reporters around, even more so in the back. Peter was surprised they didn’t stand outside Midtown, but he suspected that his actual identity hadn’t been found out yet. He was still just some kid, some stupid kid who Tony Stark had to come to save.</p><p>Happy went with him to the penthouse where he was meeting everyone else. He told him he didn’t have to escort him, but Happy was also part of the upcoming conversation.</p><p>When he arrived all the adults were sitting at the dining room table. Peter sat down next to May who gave him a side hug and kiss to the temple. He greeted Ms. Potts and Mr. Stark with a smile and a wave.</p><p>“First of all,” Ms. Potts started once everyone was seated, “I’m really sorry that things had to work out this way, Peter. We were all hoping you wouldn’t be in the public’s attention, especially because of your,” she paused before smiling, “extra nightly activities.”</p><p>Peter couldn’t help but grimace, he tried to hide it away but he was sure Ms. Potts and Mr. Stark saw it.</p><p>“After speaking with Tony, we think one of the smartest moves we can do is make your internship official.” </p><p>There was a pause, every adult in the room was giving Peter a very expecting look. </p><p>His reaction was maybe not what they had in mind. “Oh, uh, why?” </p><p>“Because,” Mr. Stark said, jumping in. “You deserve it. You’re a genius, kid.”</p><p>Peter nodded and looked away, feeling himself blush. The only reason they were offering this was that the media found out about him. Had they not, he was sure they never would have offered.</p><p>“If you want to, that is,” Ms. Potts added.</p><p>“Of course he does!” Mr. Stark shoots Peter a look. “Why wouldn’t he?”</p><p>There was a brief look between the adults in the room that threw Peter off. They had clearly talked about something before he’d gotten there and it looked like Mr. Stark was going off script.</p><p>“In any case, if you want to go this route I recommend we then release a press release that you are Tony’s personal intern, along with photos. Since you are a minor, we do have a lot of ability to keep more of your information safe. Doing this will also help with some of the press, but there will always be those who don’t believe the story.”</p><p>Peter nodded and he heard May sigh next to him. “Will we be able to keep Peter safe while he’s at school if the press knows who he is?”</p><p>It wasn’t lost on Peter that she said ‘we’ because now he realized, he got May into this mess too. If his life is in the press, they’ll find her for sure.</p><p>“Of course,” Happy jumped in, “besides picking him up on internship days, we can provide the school with additional security.”</p><p>“We also have the law on our hands here too since Peter is a minor. We are more than willing to handle all of the legal things,” Ms. Potts added in. “And we’re glad to deal with anything since this is something that happened on account of our error. We should have anticipated a media interest in Peter once he was discovered.”</p><p>May shot a look over at Peter, who just shrugged. “I know it’s not ideal, Peter.” She reached over and put her hand on top of his, squeezing it.</p><p>It sucked, how much he’s not made her worry about him. She already worries about Spider-man and now she’s gotta worry about Peter Parker going to school.</p><p>“The other option, Peter, if you are uncomfortable with your information being released, is to issue a press release without your name but announcing you as an intern within Stark Industries. While I know this seems like a good choice, I can tell you that most paparazzi will keep pushing to find out who you are.”</p><p>“We should control this kid,” Tony jumped in again. “It's better if we're the ones providing the information, it will keep people from thinking we're hiding something.”</p><p>“But they are going to,” Peter started, he chewed on the bottom of his lip for a second. “Once they know my name and face, what’s stopping them from stalking me? What if they see me being Spider-man?”</p><p>The silence after that statement was thick. Peter unintentionally clenched his fists, he knew what was coming now. </p><p>“That’s another thing, Pete,” Mr. Stark said. The look he gave Peter was not the same one as he did after the ferry, but it sure felt the same. “No matter what choice you make, we all think Spider-man should take a little break. We don’t want to risk anyone seeing you.”</p><p>“Why am I being punished?” Peter rushed out before he could stop himself. </p><p>“Oh sweetie, you aren't being punished. We just want to make sure you’re safe. Even if we don’t release your name to the public, you still might be found out. We don’t want anything to jeopardize your secret identity or your safety.” </p><p>May used the same voice she always did when Peter was upset. Her hand was still on his and she squeezed it again. </p><p>“It’s only for a little bit, kid.” Mr. Stark leaned back in his chair, “trust me, I’ll do something stupid in a month or so and the world will forget about you.”</p><p>The silence went back to being thick, Peter knew all of the eyes were on him, waiting for his decision. They really didn’t give him much of a choice in the matter, it seemed like the choices were already made for him. </p><p>“I guess we can do the press release,” Peter finally said, rolling his shoulders. </p><p>Mr. Stark clapped his hands together. “Good choice, Underoo. We’ll take some snazzy photos to go along with it too.”</p><p>“What does the official internship mean?” Peter asked.</p><p>“Oh yeah,” Mr. Stark said, his voice still sounding excited about the prospect. “You’ll work with me on Mondays but on Wednesdays and Fridays after school, you’ll be in the Nano Lab. I’ve got you a desk and everything. I’ve seen you working on carbon nanotubing when you’re not working on your suit. I took a peek at what you’ve got going on and I want to give you the ability to expand on it.”</p><p>Peter blushed and looked down. While he spent a lot of time working on suit upgrades, he did have spare time when he was in the labs on Monday. A by-product of creating a high tensile strength webbing, he realized he could possibly apply the same method to strengthen carbon nanotubes. He wasn’t an expert in the subject, but it intrested him quiet a bit and if his webbing could benefit others, he was all for it.</p><p>Peter didn’t comment again on the rest of the conversation, instead, he sat back and listened as the adults hashed out a workable plan for Peter’s safety. </p><p>+</p><p>The internship photoshoot was embarrassing, to say the least. Happy picked him up Wednesday after school and took him back to the Tower. It was the first time Peter had been to the Tower three days in a row, it felt weird to him. Happy thankfully took him the back way again and up to Mr. Stark’s lab, where he was to take his internship photos. </p><p>Peter showed up wearing his normal clothes but apparently, he was to look “professional” and instead he was pushed into a small room and given new less Peter clothing, a plain black shirt, and a tan blazer that was maybe a little too big for him. Mr. Stark was wearing a t-shirt and blazer, Peter was a little annoyed that he couldn’t keep his tee-shirt on underneath.</p><p>The certificate Mr. Stark handed to him was nothing special either, Peter had never seen any other intern have one, so he assumed it was made for him. Either way, holding it up to the camera as he stood next to Mr. Stark made him feel like an imposter. The only reason Mr. Stark was doing any of this was to take the heat off Peter.</p><p>“Fun one,” Mr. Stark said after they took a series of normal looking photos. Peter hesitated, he always hated when people wanted to take ‘fun’ photos. He always thought he just ended up looking more and more awkward in them. Mr. Stark had made a series of weird faces and when it seemed Peter wasn't playing long, he jabbed him with an elbow. “Come on Underoos, you can at least do bunny ears.”</p><p>He did the best he could not look too stupid and after a few more photographs, the photographer seemed happy with what they had. When Peter came back from changing into his normal shirt, Mr. Stark was gone, leaving Peter and a lot of strangers standing in the room. Thankfully Ms. Potts came in, Starkpad in hand, and whisked Peter away and into a boardroom of sorts. </p><p>“I have a copy of the press release for you to read,” she said and handed it over to Peter. “If you don’t like anything, please let me know. We plan on posting it tomorrow morning alongside a photo from today.”</p><p>“Why so quickly?” Peter asked before he read it. </p><p>“It’s better to be on top of this and not wait much longer. You aren't coming to the Tower tomorrow, so you should be fine at school. Happy will pick you up and take you back to your apartment anyway. You’ll come on Friday to start your actual internship too. We’re hoping to make this look like your normal routine, to begin with. I know you don’t want to hear it, but we’d like you to use the front entrance again.”</p><p>Peter flinched and let out a loud sigh. He didn’t want to use the front entrance, which just invited more people to look at him. “Don’t employees usually use the back one?”</p><p>“Not all the time and we want people to believe this is real, so it’s good for them to see you every once in a while. I promise it doesn't have to be all the time, Peter.”</p><p>“Okay,” Peter finally said and then looked down at the press release in his hand finally.</p><p>
  <em> New York, NY – Stark Industries is pleased to announce the addition of Peter B. Parker to our Internship Program. Mr. Parker will be joining our prestigious NanoTechnology Lab, where his primary research will focus on carbon nanotubes. Mr. Parker will also share his time working as a personal intern, to Stark Industries owner, Tony Stark. </em>
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  <em> “Despite Peter’s young age, he has shown a deep love and genius level understanding of biochemistry that has been instrumental in furthering the development of carbon nanotubes. I’m delighted to have personally taken Peter under my wings and look forward to the bright future he has ahead of him,” states Mr. Stark. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> A native of Queens, New York, Peter attends Midtown School of Science &amp; Technology.  </em>
</p><p>He wondered if Mr. Stark said that about him, or if a PR person made the whole thing up on the spot. It didn’t sound like him very much.</p><p>“It’s fine,” Peter said and handed back the Starkpad to Ms. Potts.</p><p>She took it and looked over at Peter, she had a soft look on her face as if she felt bad for Peter in some way. Peter looked away and rolled his shoulders back.</p><p>“It’ll be okay, Peter,” she said softly, “things will die down quickly. We’ll make sure you and May are taken care of and safe, you have my word.”</p><p>Peter nodded. “Thanks.”</p><p>He could hear the sound of Ms. Potts’s chair moving from the table, she stood up and walked towards the door. “If you want to wait here, I’ll send Happy up to get you and take you home. Unless you want to stay here?”</p><p>“Uh, home’s fine, Ms. Potts,” he said and then tried his best to give Pepper a reassuring smile. He had no idea why she’d want him to stay, it wasn’t like Mr. Stark was around anyway.</p><p>“Please Peter, call me Pepper,” she said with a smile. “I’ll have Happy come get you.”</p><p>She smiled again and walked out of the door, leaving Peter alone with his thoughts.</p><p>+</p><p>Peter tried to enjoy his last paparazzi free trip into his school, but the pit in his stomach wouldn’t let him. The press release would come out while he was in first period and he knew there was no way he’d even focus on anything all day. He didn’t want to look at what people were saying, but there was no way he couldn’t. He was already worried about the reaction of the students around him, they’d surely see the information when it came out as well.</p><p>Ned must have sensed Peter’s nerves because as soon as they sat down in their first period class, he reached out and squeezed Peter’s arm.</p><p>“Dude, you are like vibrating. You need to relax,” Ned said softly to him, leaning close into Peter’s space.</p><p>“I can’t,” Peter admitted weakly. “I’m just… I don’t want to know what everyone’s going to be thinking about me.”</p><p>“Then don’t look,” Ned leaned over and grabbed Peter’s phone from his hand. Peter could have stopped it, but he didn’t. He still scowled Ned.</p><p>“I have my laptop,” he gestured towards the laptop propped up in front of him. “You can’t take the internet away from me.”</p><p>Ned laughed and closed the lid of Peter’s laptop. “I can try, dude. Don’t make me disconnect the school’s internet. You know I can do it in like 20 minutes top.”</p><p>Peter scowled again, but then let out a genuine laugh. Ned was great at being a distraction for Peter when he was too stuck in his head sometimes. Ned put Peter’s phone back in front of him but Peter didn’t make it grab it again.</p><p>“You can look, but don’t stress, okay?”</p><p>Peter laughed out loud, loud enough that the kids next to them looked over. “Sure, that’s possible.”</p><p>Ned’s reply was cut off as Ms. Sterling walked swiftly into the room. “Alright, class, let’s get started…”</p><p>Surprisingly Peter managed to pay attention for a majority of the class, if not a little distracted once he knew the press release went out. He had the tab open on his computer, ready to open up to SI’s Twitter feed. He had to resist, he really did. If he looked now it would be the only thing on his mind all day long.</p><p>He ended up giving in to the temptation at lunchtime. As soon as he walked into the cafeteria, Ned flanked to his side, it came abundantly clear that the news hit Midtown. If Peter couldn't see everyone staring at him, he could certainly feel it. He could also, unfortunately, hear some of their whisperings. He stood stuck at the entrance, unable to move.</p><p>“We can go eat somewhere else,” Ned said at his side, he carefully grabbed Peter’s arm again. </p><p>“No,” Peter stammered, “no, no, it’s fine. Uh, if I go that’s more attention. I just need to… act normal about it.”</p><p>They got into the food line and Peter’s hands went to his phone as they waited. He brought up SI’s Twitter and as he suspected the top Tweet was the one he’d been looking for. Peter had a twitter account of his own but he was glad they didn’t tag him in it. That was the last thing he needed to deal with. </p>
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</div><p>Seeing it out there in the open was less terrifying then Peter thought it was. He was feeling okay as he swiped his card to pay for lunch. He sat down at their normal table and he then made the mistakes of looking at the comments.</p>
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</div><p>It was pretty much what Peter had figured they’d be like. He knew people would assume he was Mr. Stark’s son still. He didn’t think that would ever go away, especially if people found out he was an orphan. </p><p>He was too busy scrolling to notice MJ was sitting with them. </p><p>“Put it away Peter,” she said sternly, it was enough of a surprise that Peter looked up and put the phone down. She was giving him her normal expression of mild interest, but there was something else there too. “You don’t need to worry about what people are saying.”</p><p>He snorted but left the phone face down on the table. He could still hear what people in the cafeteria were saying. He was trying not to focus, but parts of sentences were catching his attention. He tried to eat the mac and cheese sitting on this plate, but it became less and less appealing by the second.</p><p>
  <em> “Do you think he’s really Stark’s son?” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “I didn’t think that Parker kid was smart enough!” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “What a showoff! He’s such a loser!” </em>
</p><p>He was so lost in the voices of everyone else, he didn’t realize Flash had walked up to him until he was practically leaning over Peter’s lunch tray.</p><p>“Parker,” he said sharply, Flash looked annoyed, more annoyed than usual. Peter was not excited about whatever Flash was about to throw at him. They were both silent for a moment. “I don’t know how you managed to pull this off, but you’re still full of shit. There’s no way Tony Stark took any special interest in you. He clearly wanted to help some pathetic orphan out. You're nothing but a charity case.”</p><p>Ned moved, standing so fast the table shook. “Shut up Flash, leave him alone.”</p><p>Flash stood back from the table, getting out of Peter’s space but laughed at Ned. “When will you stop letting your stupid friend here fight your battles for you? Scared Parker? Scared that everyone will see what a loser you really are?”</p><p>“Fuck off Flash.”</p><p>That was MJ this time, she had gotten up and moved closer to them. She had her arms crossed over her chest, she looked pissed. Flash looked up at her and then away back to Peter. “God, you’re such a pampered Princess Parker.”</p><p>He left without another word and Peter didn’t bother finishing the rest of his lunch. He pushed the food around on his plate until the bell finally rang. Ned and MJ kept shooting him sympathetic looks and tried to turn the conversations into something Peter liked, but he didn’t even feel like talking. His head was starting to pound, he could feel the oncoming headache looming.</p><p>The rest of Peter’s day failed to improve very much. There were a lot of people talking about him, some of them were trying to take stealth photos of Peter as he walked in the hallways and sitting in class. Thankfully his teachers seemed to shut down any of that action before it got too bad. He knew he must have been looking bad because MJ offered to let him skip out on the Decathlon practice.</p><p>“I’m alright,” he lied to her, “Happy’s not picking me up until afterward anyway.”</p><p>Despite telling her he was fine, she was not as harsh to him as she usually was. He got his fair share of questions and comments, but she was holding back. It annoyed Peter, just a little. He hated it when people treated him like he was made of glass. He was fine, just a little bit overwhelmed, things would eventually tone down and he’d be back to his brand of normal soon enough.</p><p>He was relieved to see there weren't any reporters outside the school when he left. Most of them must have assumed he got out when normal kids did, it was a welcome relief. Happy took him home and Peter all but collapsed into his bed.</p><p>+</p><p>Friday was not an improvement on Thursday. When Peter got into the car Mr. Stark sent for, he was surprised to see Happy seating in the back seat. He was so used to the guy driving, he had to look to see if there was anyone in the driver’s seat.</p><p>“What?” Happy questioned him. “You do realize that I’m the actual head of security and not an actual driver right?”</p><p>Peter shrugged, he didn’t think he deserved the actual head of security watching him. Happy rolled his eyes at him. “I’m going to stick around at school with you today.”</p><p>“You don’t have to!” Peter said in a hurry, already imagining just how much Flash would love to rub this in his face. Princess Peter needs a babysitter. “I’m fine.”</p><p>“I know you’re fine, but Tony is a helicopter parent and insisted. I’m pretty sure if Pepper hadn’t told him he’d make it worse, he would stay with you all day at school.”</p><p>Peter snorted at that, yeah right, Mr. Stark would never just hang out with Peter at school. He tried to relax as they were driven to the school. Happy told him he wouldn’t be following Peter from class to class, but he’d be around. Mr. Stark must have talked to Principal Moratia about everything at some point. Peter didn’t even think about how this would affect other students in the school.</p><p>The sea of reporters and paparazzi that greeted them as the car turned the corner almost made Peter throw up. There were a lot of them and they were all ready to pounce the second Peter made an appearance. Happy must have seen the look on his face because suddenly he was putting his hands on Peter’s shoulders.</p><p>“It’s okay, Pete. Just breathe, alright? We’re going to go around back and go to a different entrance today. I promise it’ll be quick and painless. They can’t do a single thing to you, especially when I’m around.” He paused and dug into his jacket pocket. “Here,” he handed Peter earbuds when Peter took them, he reached into his other pocket and pulled out a pair of sunglasses.</p><p>“Tony said your senses are easily overwhelmed, those are noise canceling earbuds and these sunglasses should help too.”</p><p>Peter put the earbuds in, they didn’t completely cut out the sound, but they were good at making the louder sounds dull out. He pushed the sunglasses on his face and Happy grinned. “You look a lot like him sometimes.”</p><p>Peter looked at the window, catching his reflection. The sunglasses were very much Tony Stark looking but on Peter, they looked a bit much. He just looked like some kid cosplaying as Tony Stark.</p><p>“When you get out, just keep going straight into the school, I’ll be right behind you. Don’t stop for anyone or anything. No matter what, just keep going. There aren’t as many people on this side and we can keep them back a lot farther too.”</p><p>Peter nodded and tried not to look as terrified as he felt. The car turned around to the back of the school where there was a small visitor/teacher parking lot. The car pulled in and straight up to the door. Happy as right, the reporters were farther back, none of them even in the parking lot. He paused at the door for a moment, tried to gather his barring the best he could, and then opened the door and walked out.</p><p>Even with the earbuds, the sound was way too loud. He stopped in his tracks, but Happy’s hands were on his shoulders and gave Peter a slight push forward and then he was walking the 15 or so feet to the back door. Once he got in, Peter tried to breathe, not realizing he had been holding his breath the entire walk. He leaned down, hand on his knees, and closed his eyes.</p><p>He could feel Happy’s hands on his shoulders still and could vaguely hear him talking. It took a few minutes but eventually, his head cleared enough and he stood up. Thankfully they were near the administrative offices of the school and there were very little people around to view Peter’s panic.</p><p>He took the earbuds out of his ears and slipped the glasses off, he tried to hand them to Happy but he shook his head. “Those are for you to keep. If things get too much, make sure you put them on. Your teachers think you get migraines, so they are aware you might need them.”</p><p>If Peter was feeling like shit before, that made it so much worse. He didn’t want to lie to excuse the stupid panic he got because people were just looking at him. Happy walked with him to his locker and together they waited in silence for a few minutes before MJ and Ned showed up together. Peter felt like he was being handed off from person to person, but he tried his best to smile and give Happy a little wave as they parted ways.</p><p>The day went by painfully slowly, each class felt they lasted the entire day. Peter’s headache didn’t improve and neither did his mood. Everyone kept looking at him like Peter was an exhibit in a zoo. He tried his best to ignore it, tried to focus more on Ned and MJ’s constant talking, but it really wasn’t working for him.</p><p>The worst was at lunch, Peter almost didn’t want to walk into the cafeteria, but he pushed through and walked in anyway. He made it to their normal seats, fidgeting slightly with his fork before looking down at the chicken and vegetables he haphazardly took. He really wasn’t all that hungry still, but he knew he had to eat.</p><p>His phone was burning a hole in his pocket, he’d done everything he could not look at it, knew it would just make things a lot worse. He drummed his fingers nervously on the table, as he attempted to eat.</p><p>“Peter,” Ned said softly, placing his hand on his arm. “Do you want to sit somewhere else? I know that look dude, you’re freaking out.”</p><p>“I’m fine,” Peter snapped without meaning to, he sighed and shook his head. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to snap at you. I’m just really… annoyed.”</p><p>“No shit,” MJ said, she had sat across from him instead of halfway down the table. “You look like shit too. You should go home, chill out for the weekend.”</p><p>Peter shrugged. “It’s fine, the day is almost over and I have the actual internship after school anyway.”</p><p>It was weird having the actual internship now, for so long he used that as a code name for his Spidey related duties but now it was a real thing. MJ gave him a sympathetic look and he went back to moving the food around his plate.</p><p>A few minutes of silence went by before Ned made a little distressed sound, Peter turned his head to see him looking at his phone. </p><p>“What?” he asked, Ned, put the phone face down on the table. “Ned.”</p><p>“Nothing!” Ned exclaimed in the same tone he always used when he was lying. Ned smiled at Peter, but it was not going to work. </p><p>Peter reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone and opened Twitter, much to the dismaying sounds Ned was still making. He didn’t need to look for very long before he found a tweet from the Daily Bugle.</p>
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  <em>DAILY BUGLE EXCLUSIVE: </em>
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  <em> PETER PARKER GENIUS OR CHARITY CASE? </em>
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  <em> Daily Bugle was lucky to obtain an exclusive interview with an anonymous source who attends school with Peter Parker.  </em>
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  <em> “No one likes him at school!” The source tells us. “All the teachers treat him like a princess because he’s an orphan. He’s not the genius everyone says he is!” </em>
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  <em> When pressed for details the source continues. “He gets in trouble all the time, misses class, leaves class early and yet he NEVER gets punished. Everyone just feels sorry for him and it’s really annoying. I don’t think he deserves the internship or to be at our school.” </em>
</p><p>“Peter!” MJ reached over and took his phone from his hand. “Stop reading it, you know it’s Flash and he’s full of shit.”</p><p>Peter sighed and tilted his head back. “Why?” He asked absolutely no one and everyone at the same time. “Why does this always happen to me?” He looked at his friends. “I honestly preferred it when no one believed me, that was honestly better than this.”</p><p>MJ handed him back his phone and Peter smiled at her briefly. He was still pretty amazed at how nice she was being to him. He must look like shit if she’s worried. He appreciated how much she and Ned seemed to be trying to distract him, it wasn't’ working but he appreciated it all the same.</p><p>+</p><p>Happy took Peter through the front entrance into Stark Towers for his internship. He explained that it was mostly for show, and still didn’t make Peter very happy. The Tower’s entrance was a lot more sparse than it usually was, Peter attributed this to Happy’s doing, he probably was too worried Peter would freak out again.</p><p>Happy took him up to the lab floor, Peter had never actually been up there before. He’d only been up in Mr. Stark’s personal lab and one time in the penthouse to get something to eat. Happy brought him into one of the labs and deposited him in front of a short, blonde woman in a lab coat. Happy introduced her as Dr. Lambert, head of the Nanotechnology Lab. </p><p>“I’ll meet you downstairs at 8:00 to take you home. If you need anything, just text or call. Tony’s out of town but Pepper’s around.”</p><p>Peter never felt more like a little kid being dropped off at his babysitter house. He smiled and said goodbye to Happy before smiling at his new boss.</p><p>“Hi,” he said awkwardly, Happy had already introduced him and he was feeling really nervous standing there.</p><p>“I’m very glad to have you join us, Mr. Parker,” Dr. Lambert said with a big smile. He felt his anxiety easing just a bit, she seemed nice enough. </p><p>“You can call me Peter,” he said in reply and she nodded. She took Peter around the medium sized lab, pointing to desks and introducing him to his fellow interns and other employees. He wasn’t the only intern on his level, but he was by far the youngest. There were three other interns in the department, Simon, Megan, and Alex, all of which attended NYU in varying grades. </p><p>Dr. Lambert explained that most interns worked during the afternoon/evening since they were college students. While a normal business world day ended at 5:00, the labs were open until 8:00 pm. There would always be at least one supervisor working, Dr. Lambert was usually just in the mornings until 5, while Dr. Sandhurst tended to stay the afternoon/evening shift. There were actual employees too, but most of them worked until 5, only a few sticking around here and there to finish up projects.</p><p>“Dr. Sandhurst is a bit busy right now,” Dr. Lambert explained to him, “he tends to stick in his office most of the time, but I’ll make sure he meets you. He was just mentioning how interesting your work is so far.”</p><p>She finished her tour by pointing to a desk next to the one Megan sat at. Peter had noticed all of his stuff that was usually up in Mr. Stark’s lab was down there, save for anything Spider-man related. </p><p>“I’m going to leave you in Megan’s good hands. While I know you’ve been working with Mr. Stark, I’m going to have you shadow her for the first week before we let you off on your own.”</p><p>She left him to Megan, who beamed at him. “It’s so cool that you worked with Mr. Stark. You must be crazy smart!” </p><p>Peter blushed, he shrugged. “Just y’know, regular smarts, I guess.”</p><p>“Don’t be so modest,” Megan replied, “and don’t worry, no one will treat you any differently. Dr. Lambert made it pretty clear that we aren’t to fangirl you over the whole Mr. Stark thing. You’ll mostly be dealing with us,” she gestured to Simon and Alex whose desks were across the lab, “and I promise we’re just your run of the mill nerds and chill at that.”</p><p>Peter spent the next hour listening as Megan took him around the lab, giving him a far more detailed explanation of things. He was pretty used to what they had, while it wasn’t as big or expansive as Mr. Stark’s personal lab, it had a lot of the same things. When she finished, Megan brought him over to her table and started showing him some of the work she was doing. Her specialty was Genetics and working with nanotechnology, especially using nanotechnology to combine DNA.</p><p>“I’m not saying I’m sitting here trying to find a way to splice together human DNA and animal DNA, but I’m not saying it wouldn’t be super cool. I’m looking at ways nanotech can repair missing parts of someone’s DNA.”</p><p>Peter tried very hard to stifle his giggle, he wondered if Mr. Stark put them next to each other on purpose as if it was just a weird coincidence. He wondered how happy she’d be if she ever got a chance to look at his own hybrid DNA. </p><p>The rest of the night passed without much incident. Peter liked working with Megan, she didn’t treat him with kid gloves at all. She had him assisting her, not too much but enough that he was able to get the hang of how the lab worked. Simon and Alex weren’t bad either, they both came over towards the end of the night and they chatted together as they cleaned up. They were both heavily focusing on Nanotechnology and prosthesis work. </p><p>They were packing up to leave when a very tall, lanky man with red hair walked over to the desk. </p><p>“Oh, Dr. Sandhurst,” Megan squeaked out as the guy loomed in front of her table. “This is Peter Parker.”</p><p>Peter extended his hand out and Dr. Sandhurst shook it. “Nice to meet you, sir.”</p><p>“I’m very interested in what you’ve been working on. Once you’re settled in, we can meet and compare notes.”</p><p>Peter nodded and then Dr. Sandhurst took his leave, without saying anything else. Peter had a really odd feeling about him, he just seemed sort of weird. Once he was out of sight, Simon turned. “Don’t mind him, he doesn’t like, well, people. He was actually being super nice there.”</p><p>Peter was exhausted by the time he got downstairs to meet Happy. The stress of school had already worn him down and while going to the lab wasn’t bad, he needed the weekend to escape. Normally he’d go out as Spider-man when he was feeling like this, something about swinging around and helping people always made Peter feel better but he couldn’t. Instead, he just had to go home, like a normal person. </p><p>Happy looked equally as exhausted as he walked Peter out to the waiting car. There weren’t any reporters outside, thankfully. He felt bad the guy had to spend all of this time with him, he was sure Happy had better things to do. </p><p>When he got home he realized he had a text from Mr. Stark waiting for him.</p>
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<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>The response so far to this has been so wonderful, thank you all! I had posted the first chapter of this on a very sad day for me (my beloved cat passed away suddenly) and the response really cheered me up! :) </p><p>Also if you notice a difference in texts, I changed the program I was using and updated the previous chapter to match the new text.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The first two weeks after the press release was much of the same thing for Peter. Relentless reporters, both at school and Stark Towers, all of them calling out to Peter, taking endless photos. He couldn’t for the life of him understand what made people so crazy about him. The speculation highly pushed him as being Stark’s long lost son. Some articles compared the two, blurry pictures of Peter next to professional ones of Mr. Stark. Some people even managed to get a hold of his older yearbooks, so now there were pictures of young Peter next to a young Mr. Stark. </p><p>School was annoying but tolerable once Peter was inside. Most of the students calmed down after the first few days and Peter went back to being almost entirely ignored. Flash and his friends were the ones who made the biggest deal out of him, Flash had graduated to calling him Princess Parker now, especially if it looked like anyone was helping Peter in any way. He’d given several “anonymous” interviews with the Daily Bugle, claiming all sorts of stupid things about him. </p><p>Happy didn’t come back to school with him after the first day, instead, he was introduced to two very secret agents looking guys who were going to “hang out” around the school in case Peter needed them. </p><p>It felt like too much, too much attention, too much babysitting. He didn’t think anyone would do anything to him, he wasn’t important enough and all of this just led to him being Spider-man less and less.</p><p>The only thing he looked forward to was the actual Stark Internship. He found himself really enjoying working in the lab, it was nice to be around others who liked the same thing as Peter. He spent a lot of time talking with the other interns, all of which seemed to share Peter’s love and enthusiasm for science. Along with Dr. Sandhurst, they were usually the only ones in the lab from 5 to 8. </p><p>The last two Mondays, instead of working with Mr. Stark, Peter was in the Nano Lab instead. Both times Mr. Stark had just sent him a one-sentence text letting him know. Besides that, there was no other contact from him. It bothered him, but what was he ever going to do about it? </p><p>When he arrived Friday morning in the lab, Megan had a sour look on her face. She usually smiled at Peter, but instead, she barely looked up at him.</p><p>Peter sat at his lab and started working, no one said anything. Usually, Megan chimed in with some comments or at least asked Peter about his day. He kept looking over at her, he just wanted things to be normal.</p><p>After about 10 minutes of complete silence, Peter heard a clatter of a tool hitting the ground and then a loud swear coming from next to him. “Uh, fucking hell.”</p><p>Peter looked over at Megan, Simon and Alex looked up too. “Sorry,” she mumbled. “God, I swear Sandhurst is in a foul mood today. Anytime he’s upset, it’s like he takes the whole damn lab down with him.”</p><p>"Oh,” Peter said, “what’s he so upset about?”</p><p>“The usual,” Megan said, “well, I guess you don’t really know what the usual is, huh.” She looked up at Simon and Alex. “Hey guys, food break?”</p><p>They nodded enthusiastically, she turned to Peter. “Come on, let’s go down to the cafeteria, we can talk there. I think I need to just like, walk away from this stuff before I scream.”</p><p>He followed the group down to the cafeteria. He’d never been inside it before, on internship days he usually ate in the car on the way to the Tower, as not to take up too much time doing the internship. Mr. Stark usually ordered food for him on Mondays or had something sent up from the cafeteria.</p><p>Peter knew it was a nice space, but he was surprised at how big and full of food it was, even at 5:30 in the evening. There weren't many people around, only a handful of people scattered at different tables. The cafeteria service was more of a buffet type deal over a lunchroom. There was a lot to choose from and it was all free for employees. </p><p>Peter grabbed a plate of chicken tenders and fries, he watched the other grab various other items and they headed to an empty table.</p><p>Once seated, Megan started right away. “Okay, so, I know this is all gossip and stuff and you’re bffs with the big man in charge, but uh, don’t tell on us?” She ended her statement in a question but it sounded more like a plea for Peter not to snitch.</p><p>“Snitches get stitches,” Peter replied, “and in any case, I’m not best friends with Mr. Stark.”</p><p>Simon laughed. “Sure, I mean, you only hang out with the man once a week and all.”</p><p>“I’m just his intern,” Peter mumbled, looking down at his food. He could feel the blush coloring his face. He didn’t want them to see how embarrassed it made them when they brought up Mr. Stark.</p><p>“Sorry,” Simon said, but his tone was still a little annoyed. Peter was surprised at how they were all acting, he could see the foul mood spread between them. Everyone sounded just a little annoyed, which was far from the usual. </p><p>“Anyway,” Megan said and then turned back to Peter, “before coming here Sandhurst worked for Cord Industries. We don’t know what he did there, but the general consensus is that their parting was not amicable in any way. There are lots of rumors about unethical experimentation.”</p><p>“Then how’d he end up here?” Peter asked. </p><p>“That’s the $100 question,” Alex jumped in. “No one really knows, especially because Sandhurst absolutely hates Stark and it doesn’t really keep it a secret from anyone. I’m sure the man would start an I Hate Stark Parade if he could.”</p><p>“Huh,” Peter said.</p><p>“It gets a bit odder,” Simon started, taking over the story. “He hates being here too. A few months ago another employee, Wendell, overheard Sandhurst complaining to Lambert about Stark. He kept insisting that Stark was hiding things, important things, from him and the rest of us.”</p><p>“We don’t know if that’s true or anything,” Megan added. “But Sandhurst hates secrets, he hates being kept away from things. I think that’s the only reason why he’s even here, he wants to make sure he is in the midst of everything and not left out of it.”</p><p>“Which leads us to today,” Alex took over. “I got in early today, Sandhurst didn’t know anyone was here and I heard him on the phone with someone. He was yelling at them, wanting to know why he couldn’t have something. I don’t know who he was talking to, but whoever it was, was not giving him answers he wanted to hear.”</p><p>“He’s been in a shit mood since,” Simon concluded. “Whenever he’s in a bad mood, it just, like, infects all of us. We all get a bit short with each other, he’s got one of those gloom clouds following him around and it takes us all down with him.”</p><p>“What do you guys think he’s doing?” Peter asked he was genuinely curious about it. He was more curious to know if Mr. Stark knew anything about it. While it seemed Ms. Potts handled a lot of Stark Industries, he knew Mr. Stark was involved in some stuff. Dr. Sandhurst was working only a few floors down from him, he had to know if the guy hated him or not.</p><p>“I think he’s trying to get something out of Stark,” Megan answered. “It has to be the only reason why he’s sticking around.”</p><p>“Do you think he’s… hacking?” Peter questioned.</p><p>"Nah,” Simon said, “he’s not smart enough for that stuff and he knows better. I think he’s just going to be aggressively annoying about it. Keep pushing buttons. We know whatever he wants is related to his research, it has to be. He’s obsessed with his research, it’s all he ever talks about.”</p><p>Megan finished the pizza slice she had taken and then slumped a little in her seat. “God, being out of that lab, I already feel so much better.”</p><p>“Agreed,” Alex said, he turned to Peter. “When he’s like this we usually try to escape down here for a bit. It just makes everything better the farther away you are from him.”</p><p>The rest of their “break” was spent discussing their current projects, as well as some other gossip Alex had heard. He was pretty good for it, apparently, he had a habit of being in the right place at the right time to hear things. The whole group seemed to relax the longer they sat and by the time they went upstairs, everyone was back to normal. They even added Peter to the group chat they used to mostly gossip with each other.</p><p>He felt weird using it, he was a lot younger than the group, but they didn’t seem to mind having him around. </p><p>When Peter got home, he had a text from Mr. Stark on his phone. He hovered his finger over the text and wondered if he should mention the conversation in the cafeteria. Was Dr. Sandhurst really doing anything illegal? Could it all just be stupid workplace gossip? </p><p>When he opened the text and read the message, the idea of telling Dr. Sandhurst left his mind.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
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</div><p> </p><p>Peter didn’t know why he said yes, he most certainly didn’t want to interview with Mr. Stark. He was trying to avoid being in the public eye, there was really no good reason to agree. A minute later an email alert appeared, he opened it to see the list of questions the interviewer might ask them. It suddenly dawned on Peter that he was always going to be interviewed with Mr. Stark and that asking him was a formality. Why would he just assume Peter wanted to join him? It felt like Mr. Stark move in every way and that just annoyed him.</p><p>It’s not like he knew how Peter was feeling about the sudden fame, he hadn’t really even talked to him about it. He just seemed to throw Peter out to the wolves and hope for the best. </p><p>+</p><p>MANHATTAN, NEW YORK - </p><p>Even at the age of 48, Tony Stark still commands the room in the same dashing playboy manner of his younger days. He’s all show, a bravado, a commanding loud presence that demands everyone’s attention. He’s head to toe in Armani, from his shoes to his light blue suit. His signature sunglasses sit perfectly on his face. Everyone in the room turns and looks at Tony Stark, there’s no denying someone like him.</p><p>And yet, something has changed about him.</p><p>Peter Parker’s not in designer anything, he’s wearing beat-up sneakers, jeans, and a science tee-shirt. He hovers behind Tony until the man pulls him to his side and slings an arm over his shoulder. </p><p>It is very much unlike any version of Tony Stark I’ve ever seen. </p><p>Like many who saw the photographs, I too saw the young boy and thought Tony Stark’s playboy days had finally caught up to him. And while Stark Industries insist the relationship between Tony Stark and Peter Parker remains one of “mentor/mentee” it’s hard not to see the physical similarities between. Peter Parker has the same dark hair, although his is a mop of curls that he looked to have desperately gelled down. Tony occasionally ruffles his hair and the curls make wild appearances. They share the same dark-colored eyes but Peter’s doe-like eyes express so much youth and joy.</p><p>If one spares just a glance at the two, their differences stand out a lot more. But at the same time, it’s undeniable the two are very much the same. Tony Stark is a loud bright presence the second he arrives, Peter, on the other hand, lights up a room with his shy smile. Where Tony is loud, Peter is quiet and yet they both are two very engaging people.</p><p>They fit together very well, what Tony lacks in personal charm Peter makes up for and what Peter lacks in out word confidence, Tony has in spades. </p><p>When Tony sees me at the table I’ve been sitting at for our brunch interview, he comes over with a dashing smile. Peter hovers behind him until Tony directs him to sit in the booth across from me, Tony slides in after.</p><p>Peter introduces himself to him, holds out a hand, and gives me a surprisingly strong handshake. I can immediately sense the nervous emanating off the young boy, it’s clear he’s uncomfortable in these situations. Any of the available photos can readily show that he's head is always down, hands shoved in pockets. </p><p>I ask Peter how he’s adjusted to his newfound fame and he shrugs, shaking his head. “I don’t really think I’m famous or at least, I should be. I’m really just an intern, that’s all.”</p><p>“Don’t be so modest, kid!” Tony shouts at him, nudging Peter with his shoulder. “Kid is always so modest about his achievements.”</p><p>Peter Parker blushes, a lot. Anytime Tony makes a positive comment, his face flushes pink and he looks away. It's an incredibly endearing quality and only makes me want to know more about him. </p><p>The waiter takes our order, Tony and I both end up ordering the same large brunch, while Peter gets a plate of pancakes. Once again, Tony comes to the rescue and adds a plate of bacon, eggs, and sausages to the order. “Growing boy,” he says to me, while Peter continues to blush. </p><p>When I bring up the topic of how they met, Tony launches into the story immediately, a heavy fondness to his tone. “Peter had applied for a grant through the September Foundation. I normally don’t fuss around that sort of thing but what Peter presented had caught my eye on accident. I was amazed at what he was doing and went to personally speak with him at his apartment.”</p><p>Peter watches his mentor while he speaks, smiling slightly but not adding to the story. When I ask Peter how he felt about seeing the Tony Stark in his living room, he shrugs. “It was weird. I had uh, just come home from school and there he is sitting on the sofa with my, uh, Aunt May. I wasn’t expecting it.”</p><p>“He almost turned me down!” Tony says with a jovial laugh, “to think anyone would turn down the chance to work with Tony Stark.”</p><p>“I had homework,” Peter replies in a small voice, it results in a large laugh from Tony. He points at Peter as if he’s saying “can you believe this kid?”</p><p>It is hard to believe that Peter Parker is the real deal at first. The cover story of being an intern sounds a little too perfect. I press Peter for details about his work with SI, curious to see what this proclaimed, young genius can offer the world.</p><p>“Oh, yeah, well I’ve always been excited about biochemistry, it’s my favorite subject. I was working on another project when I realized what I had created could have more than one use in the real world. The current type of carbon nanotubes used has high tensile strength already, but the full potential of CNTs hasn’t been utilized yet. We’re now just seeing advancement in CNTs ability to interface neuronal circuits, synapses, and membranes.”</p><p>Peter’s enthusiasm for the topic is evident, Tony looks on like a proud parent, while I admittedly struggle to grasp onto Peter’s explanation. He goes on for some time, uses words that I still don’t know because Tony comes in with a laugh, puts his hand on Peter’s wildly moving arm.</p><p>“Take a breather kiddo, I think Ms. Jancziek here might need a breather.” He gives Peter’s arm a reassuring squeeze before speaking back to me. “You can see, Pete’s really wild about science. I keep tellin’ the kid he’s going to change the world one day.”</p><p>Tony’s words might as well come true one day. Any thought of Peter’s internship being a front dissolves the second you ask him about it, it’s very clear he knows exactly what he’s talking about. It also lends credence to the theory that he is Tony Stark’s child, he’s smart enough to be.</p><p>When I was handed this assignment, I didn’t need to delve deep into Tony Stark’s life, so instead, I looked at who Peter Parker is. While he might have a bright future ahead of him, his past seems to be one of great tragedy. Public records show his parents, Richard and Mary Parker, both scientists in their rights, passed away in a plane crash when Peter was six years old.</p><p>The orphan was taken in by his paternal Uncle and Aunt, Ben, and May Parker. Unfortunately, one tragedy isn’t enough for young Peter, since it appears as if his Uncle Ben passed away after a robbery gone wrong only a few years ago. </p><p>I ask Peter if he wants to follow in his parent’s footsteps and I can’t help but notice the surprised look on Peter’s face. He tries to wear it to mask it with bravery, but I see a tear in his eye.</p><p>“Oh, yeah, of course. I mean, I didn’t know them very well but, uh,” he pauses and looks to Tony as if the subject is too hard to talk about and it’s only when Tony smiles at him, does he continue. “I know their love of science is something I inherited.”</p><p>I ask if he thinks his Uncle Ben would be proud of what he’s doing and that’s when the real sadness covers Peter’s face. “Yeah, I mean, I think he would. He always encouraged me to follow my dreams and work hard to achieve what I want in life.”</p><p>Tony’s arm goes around Peter’s shoulders again, he smiles encouragingly at his mentee. It’s clear that Tony has taken a much more personal approach to mentor Peter, when I ask if he considers their relationship to be more fatherly, Tony beams when he answers.</p><p>“I’m not interested in replacing Peter’s Dad or Uncle, but I am interested in helping and mentoring him and if sometimes that comes across as fatherly, then I guess that works too. The kid’s a genius, I just want to make sure he finds his place in the world. My old man wasn’t always so encouraging, I want to break the cycle.”</p><p>+</p><p>“She totally Rita Skeetered me, didn’t she?” Peter asked out loud to MJ and Ned as he stopped reading the article on his phone. He didn’t even feel like continuing at this point. It was all too clear the interviewer was going to keep talking about how Mr. Stark was totally Peter’s new Dad.</p><p>“Does that make me Ron?” Ned asked from his spot, cross-legged on Peter’s bed. MJ sat on the floor, Peter was sitting upside on the ceiling. He dropped himself to the ground and sat down next to MJ. “I mean, we are the golden trio now aren’t we? MJ is so Hermione.”</p><p>Peter groaned. “Oh god, I realized my life is like Harry Potter isn’t it? Orphaned? Living with Aunt and Uncle? Damn.”</p><p>“Does that make Tony Hagrid or Dumbledore?” Ned asked.</p><p>“Dumbledore,” MJ and Peter responded at the same time, the three of them broke out in laughter afterward. </p><p>“I wasn’t crying,” Peter defended as their laughter died down. “I was just really surprised she brought up my parents and Ben. It just came out of nowhere. Mr. Stark had given me a list of questions and they were definitely not on there.”</p><p>“There’s no shame in it, Pete,” Ned said. “It’s not like people are going to judge you for being an orphan.”</p><p>“Yeah, but they are going to think that’s the only reason why Mr. Stark even talked to me. She already made it seem like he was my Dad. Everything is just too sappy and unrealistic. I wasn’t admiringly looking at him and yeah Tony put his arm around my shoulder but he knew I was uncomfortable. Everything she said was just… taken out of context and added a layer of fantasy.”</p><p>“Do you think they are gonna make you do anymore?” MJ asked she was still looking at the article on her phone. Peter could see it from where he was sitting. </p><p>“Mr. Stark said it was just the one, but who knows. I can’t go on the internet without seeing my face and my name everywhere. I hate this.”</p><p>MJ moved over so she was sitting beside Peter, their backs against the bed. “It’ll blow over, you’re not that interesting of a person to keep attention for long.”</p><p>After MJ and Ned left, against his better judgment, Peter looked over at Twitter. He didn’t know what he was looking for - maybe a sign that his 15 minutes were over, but that was hardly present, instead he was greeted with a new hashtag that just seemed to make the whole thing a lot worse.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
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</div><p> </p><p>+</p><p>Peter had only entered the Nano Lab and put his backpack down when Dr. Sandhurst came storming out of his office. Peter caught Simon’s eye from across the room, when Dr. Sandhurst usually came out of his office, it was to bark orders at one of them to get him something or find someone. He was bossy, maybe too bossy sometimes. He liked to point and direct people, instead of simply asking someone for something. And that was his normal temperament, when he was really annoyed, it was worse.</p><p>Peter hadn’t talked to him after their introduction. Megan kept telling him that it was a blessing not to be in his direct line. He usually just ignored Peter but this time he stopped at this table.</p><p>“Parker, come with me.”</p><p>He didn’t wait for Peter to follow, instead walked straight back into his office. Peter looked to everyone else in the room before following quickly behind him.</p><p>When Peter entered his office, Dr. Sandhurst was sitting at a table, a hologram of the human brain floating above it. “Shut the door.”</p><p>Peter closed the door behind him and walked over to the table. Below the hologram were a lot of scattered papers with messy handwriting on them. </p><p>“I read your piece in Esquire,” Dr. Sandhurst started. “And I’ve looked at the work you’ve started here.”</p><p>It wasn’t a question or a compliment, Peter didn’t know how to answer. Instead, he just shrugged his shoulders. Since he was an intern, his work was available to the supervisors of his lab, for both review and comment. Peter didn’t mind it much, he was always willing to share his work with people. The only thing that Mr. Stark kept private was all of his Spider-man stuff, including his webbing. He wondered if Dr. Sandhurst was going to accuse him of hiding something, his stomach dropped, he had a secret to keep from him.</p><p>“Do you know what I’m working on?” Dr. Sandhurst asked into the silence. Peter was sure it was the first question he ever heard the man ask.</p><p>“NeuroNano Technology, working on healing damaged neural circuits.”</p><p>Dr. Sandhurst tilted his head slightly, eyeing Peter like he was on display. He felt his face flush a little and he averted his eyes away from the man. “I’m looking into ways to manipulate or heal damaged neural circuits.”</p><p>He paused for a moment as if he was waiting for Peter to ask him to explain. While Peter wasn’t an expert, he could follow along with Dr. Sandhurst. He understood the basics of the idea, what Peter was working on could potentially help him but his work wasn’t ready to be implemented, especially with someone else's work. </p><p>“The difficulty in this lies in making individual electrical connections fitting both the features of the brain and of the nanostructures,” Dr. Sandhurst finally continued after what seemed like endless silence. “You’re work, while not exact, has shown promise in developing a different kind of CNTs.”</p><p>Peter nodded. “Yeah, that’s my primary goal. To expand the use of carbon nanotubes, it could have a wealth of application.”</p><p>“I wonder how much of this work is Stark’s and how much is it coming from you.”</p><p>The statement threw Peter off his guard completely. “Um, what?”</p><p>“How much of this are your own ideas and how much of it is Stark’s?”</p><p>“All of it is my ideas. Mr. Stark has helped me with some stuff, but uh, I create all of the chemical substances myself. Most of it before I even met Mr. Stark, interning for him has just given me a chance to expand what I was doing to a bigger scale.”</p><p>The question was clearly accusatory in nature, Dr. Sandhurst seemed to think that Peter’s work wasn’t all his own. Maybe he too believed Peter to just be Mr. Stark’s son and the whole internship thing was a front. Dr. Sandhurst silently looked at Peter and then down to a tablet on the table. Peter felt his hand curl into a fist, he wasn’t angry, not really. He was just feeling really annoyed, but not at Dr. Sandhurst, more at Mr. Stark. </p><p>After a minute of silence, Dr. Sandhurst nodded. “That’s all. You can leave now.”</p><p>Peter didn’t hesitate, he stalked out of the office, shutting the door behind himself. When he got to his table, his hands were still curled in a fist. He had to take a deep breath before he got himself worked up too much. He knew the interview was a bad idea, it made him look too soft, too much like Mr. Stark’s son. No one was ever going to take him seriously now.</p><p>“You alright, Pete?” Simon asked walking over and standing in front of Peter’s table. “I know Sandhurst can be a dick.”</p><p>He shrugged. “He asked me if I actually did any of my own research or if I just borrowed Mr. Stark’s.”</p><p>“Ouch,” Megan said from his right. “That’s tough. You know none of us believe that yeah? You’ve proven yourself and your abilities.”</p><p>Peter nodded but before he could say anything Simon jumped in. “Come on, let’s go to the cafeteria and get our snack on. It’s still open this late and I can take a break.”</p><p>“I didn’t even start working yet,” Peter said smiling, he knew even if he sat here all night, he’d never get any work done. He’d find himself reading more Tweets and comments about the magazine interview. Even though it annoyed him, he found it way too addicting to stop.</p><p>“Eh,” Megan replied, already walking away from her own work. “You're due for a break night. Nothing wrong with that.”</p><p>When he got home that night, there were a few texts from the Nano Lab group.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
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</div><p>+</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>As Peter Parker seemed to finally stop being a main topic of conversation, Peter noticed a sudden shift to Spider-man. Peter hadn’t been out in over three weeks now and he was absolutely itching to go back out. It was getting harder and harder to ignore what was happening in Queens. Mr. Stark had promised him it wasn’t going to be forever, but it was starting to feel that way. </p><p> </p>
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</div><p>He had been sitting in his room, avoiding his phone when May poked her head in. “Are you doing alright in here?”</p><p>Peter looked up from the homework he wasn’t really doing and shrugged. “I guess.”</p><p>May walked into the room and leaned against the desk Peter was sitting in front of. “I know this is tough on you, but things will get back to normal soon enough.”</p><p>Peter shrugged again. “I miss being Spider-man.”</p><p>May hummed and cast her eyes over to where she knew Peter’s suit was hiding. “I don’t see any reason why you can’t go out for a little bit tonight.”</p><p>Peter’s eyes lit up, he turned to face her. “Seriously?” </p><p>He jumped up and hugged her, she laughed as he squeezed her tightly. “Yeah, just be careful okay? Don’t let anyone see you leave or come back as Spidey. Your curfew is still midnight, no expectation.”</p><p>Peter looked at his watch, it was only 9:30, it wasn’t a lot of time but he wasn’t going to complain. He rushed over to where the suit was, taking it out of its not-so-hidden spot. He was already throwing off his shirt when May put her hand on his shoulder. “I’m proud of you Pete, I hope you know that.”</p><p>“Thanks, May.”</p><p>Fifteen minutes later Spider-man was out swinging through the city. He spent his first 20 minutes simply enjoying being out. He swung past his usual haunts, sat on his favorite rooftop, and looked out into the city he loved so much. </p><p>“Peter,” Karen chimed in as he sat on the roof, “there seems to be a robbery happening three blocks to your North. I can map the quickest route to the scene if you’d like?”</p><p>“Oh fun,” Peter said, “let’s do it.”</p><p>It only took him a few minutes before he was landing on the roof of the building that was being robbed. The storefront looked unassuming and there were no outside indications of a robbery. “What is this place, Karen? How do we know it’s being robbed?”</p><p>“This is a medical storage facility. An alarm was triggered approximately 10 minutes ago but has now been silenced. It does not look like the alarm company was made aware. I believe whoever is robbing the place has hacked into the security system.”</p><p>“Cool, cool. Give me heat signatures in the building?” </p><p>A map appeared in front of him, showing him two figures. Peter hummed and looked at the map Karen had for him. The facility wasn’t too big, it looked like they were both standing somewhere on the second floor. Only one dot was moving a little, the other stood still.</p><p>“Hmm,” he said out loud. “Can you alert the alarm company and police for me? I’m going to see if I can keep them occupied until they arrive. Is there any way to get in that isn’t the front door?”</p><p>“Alerting the authorities now, Peter. There is a window several feet below you that you can open, it will not trigger any inside alarms.”</p><p>“Thanks.”</p><p>Peter hopped over the ledge of the building, crawling down until he arrived at the window Karen had highlighted for him. He had a lot of practice opening windows from the outside, curling his fingers under the frame and pushing up just enough to open them. He broke a lot of windows doing it, but now he was pretty good at it. Especially older windows or ones that were in offices, like this one was.</p><p>He slipped into the dark office, Karen showed the map of the building in his HUD. He was in unused office buildings on the third floor. He made his way out of the room, down a long hallway, and slipped into the emergency staircase. </p><p>When he arrived at the second floor, he looked through the small square window on the door. He could see one of the guys standing guard at the door, but he wasn’t moving anything. There was nothing to indicate they were stealing anything. </p><p>“Any way to know what’s in that room?” Peter asked Karen in a low voice.</p><p>“I do not have access to those records, however, I can safely say that there are no drugs or other chemical substances located in the building. There is only hardware.”</p><p>“Hm,” Peter said to mostly himself, “so they’re stealing like, tongue depressors and gowns?”</p><p>“Not quite, Peter. The records I have indicate the building may house large scale surgical equipment.”</p><p>Peter hummed again as he watched the guy at the door, another walked out pushing a very large box. They stopped to talk, it was quick enough that Peter didn’t catch their conversation before they both lifted the box and walked towards the elevator. </p><p>“ETA on cops?” </p><p>“15 minutes out, Peter.”</p><p>“Looks like I’ll have to stop them myself,” he said and hurried down the rest of the stairs to the first floor. He arrived at the door shortly before the elevator dinged, enough time for him to open up and crawl onto the ceiling. It was dark enough in the hallway, the robbers shouldn’t be able to see him.</p><p>Once the elevators dinged, he watched them carry the heavy box towards the fork in the hallway that led to the building’s front door. He moved towards it as well, hoping to get the drop on them as they reached the fork. When he was close enough he tried to catch the wording on the box, he was sure it said something like ROSA but he couldn’t be sure. He made a mental note to ask Karen about it later.</p><p>It only took a minute before Peter met them at the fork, he aimed and shot a web at the wrist of one of the guys and pulled. The man yelped and then dropped his end of the box. The guy wobbled unsteadily for a moment and Peter shot out another web at his arm, it hit the wall and stayed there.</p><p>The second guy had shouted something and was moving, Peter jumped down on the ground. “Hello!” He said rather cheerfully. Neither of the men responded and Peter frowned inside the mask.</p><p>“Not even a hello? Or wow, it’s nice to see you Spider-man? Thanks, guys.”</p><p>He moved out of the way of the man trying to punch him, he easily dodged, the guy’s movements were widely uncoordinated. In fact, the other guy was feebly trying to pull his arm loose, but the movements looked almost fake. The uncoordinated guy looked more like a toddler playing fighting than anything else.</p><p>“You guys okay?” Peter questioned, barely having to move to dodge another punch. He reached out instead to grab the guy’s arm. He didn’t fight much, instead, he just stopped moving altogether, as if Peter had hit his off button and collapsed to the floor. “That’s not super creepy or anything.”</p><p>He let go of the guy’s arm, it dropped and he laid motionless on the floor still. The other guy was doing the same, but Peter’s webs were holding his arm to the wall still, so he was slightly hanging. </p><p>Peter awkwardly stood still between the two of them. “Uh, Karen, are these guys, uh, robots?”</p><p>“No, Peter. It appears that they are 100% human.”</p><p>“Okay, did I stumble into Blair Witch 3 or something? What’s wrong with them?”</p><p>“It appears that they are sleeping, there is nothing physically wrong with them at this time.”</p><p>Peter shrugged and looked over at the box sitting on the floor. “What’s a ROSA?” he asked, reading the name again.</p><p>“ROSA is a robotic tool to assist surgeons in performing complex neurosurgical procedures.”</p><p>“That’s not like, strange or anything. Okay, so if I web these guys up in a nice neat bow, they’ll be okay right?”</p><p>“That seems to be the case, Peter. Police eta is now 5 minutes.”</p><p>Peter went to work webbing the guy’s wrists together and managed to get the one slumped against the wall. He dissolved the webs on the other guy’s wrists and instead bound them and sat him next to his fellow robber. He felt really weird moving around two guys who appeared to be sleeping, they didn’t put up any kind of fight. Once he felt they were secure, he awkwardly stood there again, unsure of what to do. </p><p>He could hear the wail of sirens and realized it was time to go, he started towards the door, deciding it would be easier to leave the way he came in. He made it back up to the roof quickly and swung away to a building a few blocks away. </p><p>Maybe a few months ago he would have texted Happy or Mr. Stark about this but now, he just didn’t feel like it. Yeah, it was weird, but the authorities would figure it out. Mr. Stark would probably be mad if Peter did something “above his pay grade”, it was just easier not to even bother.</p><p>+</p><p>“Good to see you kid,” Mr. Stark greeted Peter as he made his way into the lab on Monday. He was half expecting to be in the Nano Lab, he almost wanted to be in there. He didn’t know when the switch came from wanting to be around Mr. Stark, to not wanting to be. Peter almost preferred no contact, over sparse meaningless ones. </p><p>“Hi Mr. Stark,” Peter responded, wandering over to his table and taking his seat. Peter looked around, it had been such a long time since he’d been at this table, most of his things were in the Nano Lab. He had the web-shooters he’d been updating and another Starkpad. He picked it up and started looking for where he’d left off. </p><p>“What’s up, Pete?” Mr. Stark asked. Peter looked to see him hovering by the end of his table. </p><p>“Nothing, just trying to get back into work on the web-shooters.”</p><p>“Oh,” Mr. Stark said, he kept where he was. “Hungry?”</p><p>“Um, sure, whatever you want.”</p><p>Peter kept his head down, looking at the tablet. Mr. Stark moved away, he could hear him order pizza with FRIDAY. They worked in silence until a half-hour later when FRIDAY announced the pizza had arrived.</p><p>“I'll get it,” Peter mumbled, getting up. </p><p>“Oh, sure, kid. Already paid and tipped.”</p><p>Peter made his way down to the main floor lobby and secured the 3 boxes of pizza and order of breadsticks. He was waiting for the elevator back up to the lab when Dr. Sandhurst came walking from the lobby.</p><p>“Parker,” he said sharply, Peter turned and smiled at him. He’d seen Dr. Sandhurst around a few times in passing, but he never greeted him before. “I see Stark has made you his errand boy.”</p><p>Peter flinched, he kept his gaze on Dr. Sandhurst. “I volunteered, actually.”</p><p>“I see,” he said simply, but Peter knew he didn’t believe him. Peter could feel the stupid blush coming up his cheeks and he suddenly wished he hadn’t gotten the stupid pizzas. The lobby was still pretty busy and who knew how many other people were thinking the same thing now.</p><p>His elevator dinged before anything else could be said and Peter quickly went inside, he could still feel Dr. Sandhurst’s eyes boring into the back of his head.</p><p>When he arrived back at the lab, he put the pizza down on one of the unused tables. In the Nano Lab, there was no food rule, but in Mr. Stark’s lab, he was pretty lenient on it. He always allowed Peter to snack on anything he wanted, as long as he followed safety guidelines and ate away from his work table if he could.</p><p>Mr. Stark walked over and opened one of the boxes, grabbing a slice. “You sure you’re good, kid? I saw you went out a few days ago, I’m sure you enjoyed it.”</p><p>Peter wasn’t the least bit surprised that Mr. Stark knew he went out, but he still didn’t see the need to tell him what happened. It wasn’t like he really cared about anything, not really. </p><p>“Yeah, it was nice.” Peter grabbed a silence of pizza, taking a bite so he wasn’t obligated to continue answering any questions. </p><p>“I know the media's been a bit much lately, even after the interview. You doing good? No one at school is bothering you?”</p><p>Peter shrugged. “Not any more than usual.”</p><p>A minute or so of silence passed, Peter kept his gaze down at the pizza, taking two more slices. Mr. Stark had started on the breadsticks, seemingly done with his line of questioning. After several more minutes, Mr. Stark went back to his own table, and Peter back to his.</p><p>+</p><p>Peter’s 15 minutes of fame had finally seemed to be running out of steam almost a month after the Esquire interview hit shelves. There was still a fair amount of online gossip that Peter had come to realize, would never actually go away. People on the internet did not let things go lightly and Peter was a thing now. He was also going out as Spider-man on some nights and the spotlight was slowly moving to his alter ego. </p><p>He could handle people talking about Spider-man, they didn’t know who was under the mask. He had a purpose as Spider-man, he stuck to his brand and did what he could to help people. As Peter Parker, everyone just wanted to know everything about him and spent more time making wild assumptions than anything else. </p><p>Working in the Nano Lab was becoming the highlight in Peter’s weeks. While Dr. Sandhurst wasn’t very nice, he clearly was impressed with what Peter had been doing. After the talk in his office, he never again indicated he thought Peter’s work wasn’t his own. If anything, he acted as if Mr. Stark was more of a hindrance to his work than helpful. Peter wondered how much of that was Dr. Sandhursts' dislike of Mr. Stark in general. </p><p>He had requested Peter meet with him in his office again, this time it was to have Peter review something he’d come up with. Dr. Sandhurst was trying to implement some of Peter’s hypotheses into his work. The pieces were all there, but he didn’t seem to have able to put it together. Peter was surprised Dr. Sandhurst was already trying to implement his work and even more surprised he wanted Peter’s opinion on the matter.</p><p>“I wonder how long Stark would have kept you to himself had he not been forced to give you up.”</p><p>Peter was getting used to the way Dr. Sandhurst spoke in weird statements that could be questions, insults, or compliments, but they weren’t anything. He didn’t seem like he even expected people to answer him anyway. </p><p>“I don’t think he was forced,” Peter said softly, he wasn’t sure what to think of the statement. “He just wanted me to gain more experience in other labs.”</p><p>“It seems he also wanted you to learn how to deal with the press on your own as well. For someone he says he cares about, he sure tends to throw you into the wolves often.”</p><p>And sometimes, he was right. Mr. Stark was still throwing Peter out to the wolves. </p><p>He didn’t bother to text Peter and they didn’t even talk anymore. Even when Peter would come into the lab and work, they’d exchange a few pleasantries but nothing more. Mr. Stark didn’t even talk about Spider-man with him, never asked how anything was going. He’d stopped sending in reports to Happy too, no one said a single thing about it. </p><p>It just proved what Peter thought before, Mr. Stark didn’t need Peter or Spider-man anymore.</p><p>The thought had crossed Peter’s mind that maybe he should suggest staying in the NanoLab permanently now. </p><p>He could only come up to work with Spider-man stuff when it was needed. He was getting interested in his research now, finding himself dedicating more and more time to it, even when he wasn’t in the lab. </p><p>“It’s not bad. I can handle it on my own too, everything’s died down now,” Peter said meekly, trying to defend Mr. Stark just a little. He didn’t like the idea of Dr. Sandhurst thinking Peter didn’t like Mr. Stark. He knew how much the man hated Mr. Stark and while Peter was mad at him, he didn’t actively hate him.</p><p>Dr. Sandhurst laughed a loud barking sound that made Peter flinch. “If Stark ever cared he would have stopped it before it started.”</p><p>“He doesn’t control the media,” Peter said uncomfortably, he didn’t care for the implications he was making.</p><p>Peter put down the data report he was reading and tried to change the subject. “This looks good, uh, rhetorically of course. I mean what you’re suggesting makes perfect sense, but I’m not sure you can implicate it, at least not right now. I haven’t manufactured any of the nanotubes, it’s all just running virtual tests.”</p><p>Dr. Sandhurst gave him a curt nod and Peter hoped he would stay on this new subject and not back to his relationship with Mr. Stark. They both stood silently and Peter started to feel a little off, maybe a little too tired. Another moment or two passed before Dr. Sandhurst dismissed Peter and he returned to his work.</p><p>+</p><p>Peter had tried hard not to look at anything about himself but it became really hard to stay away from it. He had tried not looking at Twitter and stopped following a lot of different people but it was still there. He just felt like he had to know what people were saying, just so he could be aware. </p><p> </p>
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</div><p>It was stupid, he realized, he didn’t want any of it and yet he couldn’t stay away from it. Everything had been going quiet, but suddenly The Daily Bugle was pushing some random interview with an “insider” that started to gain some attention. Against his better judgment, Peter clicked on the article. </p><p>
  <em> An anonymous source in Stark Industries shares with us the REAL relationship between Peter Parker &amp; Tony Stark. Many have claimed to know the real secret but we have the real deal here! </em>
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  <em> “He says that’s not his son, but he calls him, kid, all the time. He’s also bragging about him too!” Our source says.  </em>
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  <em> “He doesn’t want the media to stalk him, so they are trying to act like they aren’t close but Peter’s basically his shadow. You never see one without the other anymore and it’s not just in the labs either, they hang out. Everyone knows they are father and son, there’s no way to keep that hidden.” </em>
</p><p>Peter sighed loudly, he didn’t even bother reading the rest of it. He was going to completely toss aside this phone when another tweet came up. </p><p> </p><p> </p>
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</div><p> </p><p>Peter tossed his phone on the ground as he got up from his bed. He didn’t even want to look at the phone anymore. Why couldn’t Mr. Stark just leave the whole thing alone? He had to go and say something, again. If he’d just kept quiet, it would eventually go away too. Even Peter knew anytime you tried to object what a “source” said, you were just making them more valid. </p><p>He walked out into the living room, May was sitting on the couch watching TV.</p><p>“What’s wrong baby?” She asked looking over at Peter. “You seem upset.”</p><p>“Mr. Stark just told the entire world that he thought of me as his son.”</p><p>“Oh,” May said she gave him a weird look. “And that upsets you?”</p><p>Peter walked over and sat on the couch next to her, his arms crossed. “Yeah because he’s just saying that. He doesn't actually believe it! He hasn’t talked to me in weeks! He ignores me all the time and he still won’t let me meet the Avengers. And he didn’t even ask me if I wanted him to say that. I want him to let it all go.”</p><p>“Okay,” May said slowly when Peter finished his rant. “Let’s talk about this, okay?”</p><p>She paused and Peter nodded.</p><p>“I know Stark doesn’t always text you, but you have been talking to him when you have your lab days, don’t you? I don’t think he ignores you on purpose either, Peter. He’s been busy with a lot of other things.”</p><p>“How do you know he’s been busy?”</p><p>“We talk,” May said softly, “we talk quite a bit actually. I’m even a little surprised.”</p><p>That didn’t make Peter feel any better. “So he has time to talk to you but not me?”</p><p>“Peter,” he said placatingly, “that’s not what I’m saying. Stark cares a lot about you, I think anyone who knows him can see that. As for the Avengers thing, I don’t know why he hasn’t introduced you yet, but I’m sure he has his reasons.” </p><p>Peter crossed his arms over his chest and didn’t say anything, he couldn't even look May in the eye. He was just so angry with Mr. Stark.</p><p>“I know this media stuff is really tough on you and I think if you said something to Stark, he’d listen. He just wants what’s best for you. Have you told him you didn’t want him to release any statements?”</p><p>“No, but I shouldn’t have to. He should just ask me first.”</p><p>May moved closer, she put her arm around Peter’s shoulders and pulled him into her side. After a second, Peter went willingly. “I’m sorry baby, I didn’t realize how much this was bothering you. I think if you just talk with Stark, you’ll see that he doesn’t mean to hurt you. And hey, this is coming from me, you know? I wasn’t his biggest fan at first, but I see how much the guy cares about you and he seems to only want the best for you.”</p><p>Peter relaxed into her side, uncrossing his arms. May always had a way of making him feel a lot better, especially when he was upset. “Yeah, you’re right. I’m just… I’ve been so angry lately and I don’t know why. I want Mr. Stark to talk to me and I feel like he’s just pretending now, so he looks good on paper.”</p><p>“Oh sweetie, that isn’t the case at all, I promise.”</p><p>Peter nodded into her side. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to yell at you.”</p><p>“It’s okay, you’re allowed to be upset, Pete. I think you should maybe text Stark tonight, tell him how you feel. That might make you feel a bit better.”</p><p> </p>
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</div><p>+</p><p>When Peter entered the Nano Lab, he felt better, much better then he had in a while. After his talk with May and the short text exchange with Mr. Stark, he felt relieved. School wasn’t even that bad either, no one said anything to him. He was starting to wonder if all of this was just in his head if he was making it out to be much worse than it was. The more time he put into looking at Twitter and what everyone said about him, the more room it took up in his mind. He just needed to let it go.</p><p>He had just settled into his seat in front of his table when the lab door opened and Mr. Stark walked in. Peter had to hold back a giggle when he heard the excited squee sound coming from Megan next to him.</p><p>Mr. Stark walked over, a smile wide on his face until he was in front of Peter’s table. “Hey, Pete.”</p><p>“Hi, Mr. Stark, what’s up?” He asked, trying to sound casual. Truth was, seeing Mr. Stark walk in just seemed to make him happy. It’s been such a long time since Mr. Stark just reached out to him first. </p><p>“Not much, just came to see how you were doing.”</p><p>He turned to Megan and gave her what Peter knew was his very best media smile. “And I realized I’ve never met your fellow Nano interns.”</p><p>“Uh, hi,” she squeaked. Peter could see Simon and Alex making shocked faces behind them.</p><p>“Oh, Mr. Stark, this is Megan, over there are Simon and Alex,” Peter introduced. Mr. Stark turned to each in turn and greeted them. He asked them each a few questions about their work in turn. When he finished, he turned back to Peter.</p><p>“Do you want to come up to the lab today?” Mr. Stark asked him. “I know it’s not your usual day, but I could use your help with something.”</p><p>Peter blushed a little but he still couldn’t help but smile. “Um, sure, I guess. I think I have to ask Dr. Sandhurst first.”</p><p>And, as if he was summed by simply his name, Dr. Sandhurst walked out of his office and immediately went over to where Mr. Stark was standing. Peter could immediately feel the difference in the room. Mr. Stark had made everyone excited, but also very relaxed and now, a thick tension filled the room. Everyone save for Mr. Stark suddenly looked a lot tenser. Even Peter felt suddenly nervous, finding himself sitting up a little straighter in his stool.</p><p>“Stark,” Dr. Sandhurst stated, it did not sound like any sort of greeting, just a statement.</p><p>“Basil,” Mr. Stark said in a very cheery tone of voice. “Nice to see you again.”</p><p>Dr. Sandhurst’s face was unreadable but it was very clear he didn’t like being called Basil. For a heartbeat it felt like no one in the room was even breathing but Mr. Stark smiled and started talking again. </p><p>“I hope you don’t mind but I came to take Pete here back up to my lab. I’m in the middle of something and I could use his help.”</p><p>Dr. Sandhurst turned and looked at Peter, there was something so weird about the way he stared at him. It felt like Dr. Sandhurst was looking straight into his soul, and yet his face remained expressionless. Peter unintentionally shuttered before he looked away and back to Mr. Stark. He didn’t like the way Dr. Sandhurst was making him feel, it was just weird.</p><p>“As long as it does not interrupt Peter’s current work.”</p><p>Peter was pretty sure that Mr. Stark wasn’t asking for permission and that Dr. Sandhurst wasn’t giving him it either.</p><p>Mr. Stark titled his head for a moment, giving Dr. Sandhurst a weird look before it disappeared and he looked back over at Peter. “I’m sure he’s good, right Pete? Let’s go.”</p><p>Peter nodded his head. “Yes, Mr. Stark.” He grabbed his bag and quickly made his way around the table and towards the door. He gave everyone a little wave of his hand, Dr. Sandhurst was already stalking back over to his office.</p><p>As they made their way down the hall and towards the elevator, Mr. Stark’s arm was around Peter’s shoulder. “Basil isn’t giving you a hard time, is he a kid?”</p><p>“No,” Peter answered truthfully. “He’s a weird guy but he mostly just leaves us alone. He’s interested in my work, seems to think it’ll help him but I’m not even close to providing him with anything in working order.”</p><p>They entered the elevator and instead of hitting the button for the lab, Mr. Stark hit the button for the penthouse. “I thought we were going to the lab?” Peter questioned.</p><p>“I figured we’d eat dinner and enjoy a movie night instead? I keep meaning to invite you up here for one, but things have been busy lately.”</p><p>A grin spread across Peter’s face, maybe he was just overreacting to the whole thing.</p><p> </p>
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</div><p>+</p><p>Being kidnapped was not an activity that Peter really wanted to participate in. </p><p>He had been walking home from school, like normally did on days he didn’t have the internship. The security guard and drives homes long since stopped. Peter wasn’t important enough anymore for that. He found it particularly annoying that he was Spider-man and had to allow these guys to take him down. When he was just Peter Parker, he couldn’t risk doing anything a normal teenager wouldn’t do. </p><p>So there was little he could do when two guys grabbed him and shoved him into a van. They injected something into his neck and after a few moments of the world going a bit blurry and waves of dizziness, he was knocked out. </p><p>When he woke up, he felt like crap, his head was pounding, a relentless hammering in his skull that made it hard to think straight. He knew he was in a chair, his arms and legs handcuffed to it. He could break free, the chair was just some wooden one and the handcuffs were normal, but he wasn’t Spider-man right now, he was just Peter Parker.</p><p>So instead he sat annoyed, his head being relentless pummeled with pain as he waited. Eventually, two guys came back into the room, Peter kept his head down, not wanting to alert them that he’d already woken up. He assumed whatever they gave him cleared his system much faster then it would a normal person.</p><p>“Wakey, wakey little Peter,” a voice said to him. He counted down to 10 in his head before lifting it and giving the guy a look behind squinting eyes. “I’m just going to take a few photos of you to send to Daddy Stark. Don’t worry, as long as he pays the money, you’ll get to see him again.”</p><p>“I’m just some stupid intern, why do you think he’ll care?” Peter asked, his voice came out a lot rougher than he intended it to. He figured he was being held for ransom, at last, that seemed to indicate they wouldn’t kill him, at least not right away.</p><p>The guy snapped a few photos with his phone, Peter winced as the flash went off. His headache wasn’t going away still and the flash just made his eyes hurt. He didn’t know if the guys had roughed him up a bit, he didn’t remember getting hit. He probably just looked really pathetic right now.</p><p>The guy snorted. “Yeah right, I’ve seen the photos, you’re Stark’s son and he’ll pay big time to get you back.”</p><p>Once he finished his photos, he turned to leave, Peter sighed. “Can I at least have my backpack?” Peter called out after him. “I really need to get my History homework finished.”</p><p>Instead of a response, the door slammed shut and Peter sighed into the darkness. He tried to focus on listening to the world around him, but the headache was making it a lot harder. He closed his eyes and tried to breathe, find a way to relax, but nothing seemed to make a difference.</p><p>After a long period, where all Peter could do was sit with his eyes squeezed shut, the headache was raging on, the door opened again. </p><p>One of the guys walked in, holding his phone out in front of him.</p><p>“I guess Daddy Stark doesn’t like you as much as we thought he would. I think we’re going to have to show him just how serious we are.”</p><p>Peter realized he was recording a video, as the second guy came into the room. “Dude, are you recording this horizontally? Come on, everyone knows videos should go vertically.”</p><p>The recording guy looked at the other guy. “Go ahead.” </p><p>The first few punches were to his face and then to his stomach. Peter was lucky, the guy wasn’t very experienced with punching, he didn’t use enough force. It still hurt and Peter still reacted to it, just in case. He had to keep up the normal teenager act still, he didn’t know who would be seeing the video or pictures.</p><p>The guy finished after a few minutes and they both laughed, the guy who beat him upturned to the phone. “There’s more in store for him if you keep being cheap about it. What’s a couple million in return for your kid here?”</p><p>Peter gave the phone a bloody smile, the beating did not improve on the headache at all. </p><p>He dropped his head down when the guys left the room. He knew Mr. Stark didn’t negotiate with people like this. He figured eventually Mr. Stark would find him, send out some kind of rescue. Maybe he’d get the police involved or even the Avengers. Peter had to be worth some kind of rescue mission to him. The guys who took him seemed so bad, they couldn’t have done a great job with keeping Peter hidden away.</p><p>+</p><p> </p>
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</div><p>+</p><p>At some point, Peter must have dozed off, because the next thing he knew he was being smacked in the face. His eyes jolted open and he tried to focus on who had just slapped him.</p><p>Peter’s brain felt like it was on fire, everything hurt, from blinking to breathing to even holding his head up. This wasn’t normal, he knew, this was beyond just getting beat up. It almost felt like a sensory overload, but even that didn’t hurt as much as this did. </p><p>“Wha?” He started, his mouth felt like it was full of cotton.</p><p>“It’s really annoying that Stark paraded you around like he cared but he refused to give us any money, he refused to even listen to us. I feel sorry for you when we threatened to kill you, he shrugged.”</p><p>“No,” Peter said, the word barely coming out of his mouth. “Nuh-uh, Misser Stark likes me.”</p><p>The guy laughed. “Sure, let that be one of your last thoughts.”</p><p>He was right, wasn’t he? Mr. Stark wasn’t coming to get him. Why would he come and get him? Was he waiting for Peter to get out himself? Was he not sending anyone because he knew Peter could escape on his own? There were so many thoughts racing in his mind, he barely even registered the guys still standing in front of him. All he felt was pain and sadness, the feeling that Mr. Stark really didn’t care and he was going to force Peter to rescue himself.</p><p>The guy laughed at him. “God, are you crying? Jeez, no wonder Stark doesn’t care about you. Freakin’ cry baby.”</p><p>Peter didn’t think he was crying, but sure enough, he could feel the tears streaming down his face. They mixed with the blood that was there from the beating. Peter couldn’t wipe anything away. </p><p>“What are you gonna do with me?” He asked with a whimper, he even sounded pathetic to himself. His answer was a hard punch to his stomach. </p><p>He had to choke down another sob that tried to escape his lips. He had to keep it together, these guys were just trying to break him that’s all. Maybe they knew Mr. Stark was close to finding him and they just wanted to make him suffer some more.</p><p>“Mr. Stark will save me,” he said hoarsely, the tears not stopping. It felt like he couldn’t even control his own body anymore. It was a weird feeling, he tried to break his arms free from the chair, pulling as hard as he could. It worked but the force of his actions sent him falling forward. He couldn’t even catch himself, instead, he landed hard on his knees.</p><p>Since his legs were still zip-tied to the chair, it came with him, smacking into his back. He could hear both of his captors laughing loudly. “Geez, no wonder Stark was okay with losing you. How pathetic.”</p><p>He felt someone grab him from under his arms, he tried to fight it again, but he felt too heavy to move. He was positioned back up in the car and he slumped forward a little as soon as he was let go.</p><p>“We’re going to try this one more time,” one of the guys said. Peter lifted his head a little to see the guy with his phone filming again. “Tell Stark how much you miss him little Petey, tell Daddy that you want to be rescued real soon.”</p><p>“Mr. Stark,” Peter said in a whiny tone, he wished he didn’t sound like this. He needed to be strong. “Please come get me.”</p><p>“I don’t think that’s pathetic enough,” the guy filming said. “Do better.”</p><p>“Mr. Stark, please come get me,” Peter whined out again, fresh tears spilling down his face. “Please, Mr. Stark.”</p><p>“Once more with feeling,” the guy said, sending a swift kick to Peter’s knees.</p><p>He yelped and then into the camera. “Please, Mr. Stark.”</p><p>The guy turned the camera to his face. “Is this good enough for you? He’s begging for you to come to get him. Do you care?”</p><p>They were still laughing when they left, leaving Peter still crying in the chair.</p><p>+</p><p>Peter wasn’t aware of how long he had been waiting after the two guys left. At some point he fell asleep or may be passed out, he didn’t know. His head hurt a little less now, but still felt… wrong. It took him far too long to realize they hadn’t zip-tied his hands back to the chair.</p><p>“Stupid,” he said to himself as he pulled his legs free, one at a time. He was a little clumsy standing up, he tilted to the side, almost falling but quickly steadied himself. He stood in the room, a little too disoriented, but trying to hear for any sounds outside of it. After a few minutes of silence, he walked towards the door.</p><p>It opened easily, he sighed in relief. He knew he could fight back but didn't think he was at his full strength just yet. He made his way down a long hallway, listening as best he could. He walked until he reached a door that looked as if it went out into the world.</p><p>“It can’t be this easy,” he mumbled to himself. “Here goes nothing.”</p><p>He pushed the door open, it went easily, and then he was outside. “Okay, this was way too easy,” he said out loud to no one. He looked around, he was somewhere downtown, maybe. He didn’t recognize any of the areas, but something in his brain told him he was still in New York, maybe even Queens still. </p><p>It was dark outside, the street lights turned on. Not knowing what exactly to do, he started walking down one of the streets. He made his way down two city blocks before he saw a convenient store. He shrugged before walking in, the clerk at the counter took one look at him and let out a surprised yelp.</p><p>It was then that Peter realized he looked like a crying, bloody, mess. “Uh,” he started, “do you think I can use your phone?”</p><p>+</p><p> </p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    
  </p>
</div><p>+</p><p>Peter has called May’s cellphone first, she answered and her cry of relief at hearing Peter’s voice made his heart drop. She had been with Mr. Stark somewhere, they both were trying to talk to him and he had to tell them to stop before his head got worse. They told him to sit tight, and within 15 minutes, a car had pulled up to the curb.</p><p>May had been hysterical when she saw him, grabbed him, and hugged him so tightly Peter could barely breathe. </p><p>Peter’s head was still pounding a little, he was tired but he couldn’t get himself to close his eyes. Both May and Mr. Stark sat with him in the back of the car, his head on May’s shoulder as he held his hand. Mr. Stark wasn’t touching Peter, but he could feel his eyes on him.</p><p>When they arrived at the Tower, there was a large crowd out front and in the back. Peter knew they couldn’t see them in the car, but that didn’t seem to stop people from trying to take pictures. The sound of shouting was overwhelming, he barely noticed Mr. Stark reaching over and handing Peter earbuds.</p><p>“Here, kid, put ‘um in.” </p><p>Peter took them from him and fitted them into his ears, the sounds stopped instantly and he felt himself relax, body finally sagging just a little. </p><p>Mr. Stark directed them up to the small infirmary in the building. Peter tried to insist he was fine, but he knew May wouldn’t let him skip getting looked at. He asked May and Mr. Stark to wait outside while the doctor looked him over. </p><p>When they came back into the room Dr. Black addressed them all. “Peter’s looking good. The bruising is healing nicely already. He’s complaining of a mild headache still but I don’t see any signs of a concussion. I’d make sure he eats and gets some sleep tonight, but he’s free to go home if he wants to.”</p><p>“Thanks,” Peter said hoarsely to Dr. Black before she left the room after similar sentiments from May and Mr. Stark. </p><p>“I’d prefer if you said here tonight,” Mr. Stark said to them. “Both you and May, it would make me feel better.”</p><p>“Me too,” May said quickly before Peter could answer. “Just tonight, Pete.”</p><p>He reluctantly agreed and hopped off the bed. “Do you need anything to eat?” May asked him.</p><p>“No, I’d honestly just prefer to shower and then go to bed.”</p><p>The two adults in the room eyed him like they couldn’t decide if he was telling the truth or not. He sighed and started out the door before realizing he had no idea where to actually go. Mr. Stark followed behind and led both of them up a few floors to living areas. He showed them both two rooms, side by side, and then squeezed Peter’s shoulder before leaving them standing outside the two rooms.</p><p>May hugged him again, planting a kiss to his temple. “If you need anything, please come get me, okay? I don’t care what it is. I love you, so much Peter.”</p><p>“Love you too,” he said softly into her shoulder. </p><p>The first thing Peter did was get in the shower. Dr. Black had washed off some of the blood from his face but there was still some in his hair, along with dirt and grime. He stood under the showerhead, letting the warm water rush over him. His mind was still reeling a little, he couldn’t believe just an hour or so ago he was still kidnapped. He couldn’t believe it was really that easy to escape and that he had to do it himself. He didn’t even bother looking to see where the kidnappers had gone too, maybe they just gave up when Mr. Stark wouldn't give them money?</p><p>May had told him very little about what had happened, he knew he was gone for at least two days, but neither Mr. Sark nor May wanted to tell him anything until he was checked out by a doctor and well-rested. It annoyed him that they thought he couldn't handle it right now, but he knew he couldn’t do anything out about it. </p><p>After the shower, he changed into a pair of sweatpants and a tee-shirt that had been left on the bed. He crawled into the soft Queen bed and the second his head hit the pillow, he was asleep.</p><p>+</p><p> </p><p> </p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So in all seriousness, I think I read more academic papers just to have some kind of science happening then I did when I got my master's degree, lol. I am not a science person, I just tried very hard to make this have some sense.</p><p>I also have never, in my 25 + years of fanfic writing, named a character after myself but I ended up doing it with this fic. I just couldn’t think of a good name and thought, eh, why not. I may have ended up doing a Mary Sue, lol. Opps. :X</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Warning: There is some violence in this chapter, nothing graphic, more in line with canon level.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Peter drummed his fingers on the table as he listened to Mr. Stark talk. They were discussing their plans to “keep Peter safe”. He was feeling anxious and he couldn’t tell why. It was different from his spidey sense, this was more of a constant humming that sang through his nerves. It made him extra jittery, his mind just a little more distracted than usual.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Pete?” It took him a second to realize everyone in the room had turned to him. He rolled his shoulders back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry, what did you say?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I asked when you’d like to go back to school. Are you all alright? Does your head still hurt?” Mr. Stark asked, he looked worried.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter shook his head. “I’m fine and uh, tomorrow’s alright.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tomorrow?” May questioned. “Pete, I think you should stay home at least until next week. You need to relax a little.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m fine, May,” he answered quickly, “they didn’t really do anything to me, okay? I’m already all healed up. There’s no reason for me to just skip school.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know you’re a nerd, kid but you need to take some time. No shame in doing that,” Mr. Stark answered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m fine,” Peter repeated. “Going to school will make me feel better. Can you guys just trust me on that?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Happy, who had been sitting on the other side of the table, jumped in. “Peter’s right. He should go back. We can have extra security again, as well as ferry you back and forth.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why bother? They aren’t going to kidnap me again. They didn’t get what they wanted the first time around, don’t think it’ll change a second time,” Peter said flatly. He glanced over at Mr. Stark, whose eyes were still on him. None of them had brought up the ransom videos yet, Peter was hoping they were deleted from existence. He never wanted to even look at them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was an uncomfortable silence that filled the room and Peter shifted in his seat. May finally spoke up. “We just want to keep you safe. The guys who took you are still out there, they might try again or they might not. I know I’d feel a lot better if you had some type of security available to you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter wanted to yell at them, suddenly. Tell them he was fine, he was the one who protected other people, he didn't need it. “But I’m Spider-man,” Peter said sternly, he was starting to feel as if they forgot this fact. “I am my own security.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not when you’re Peter Parker,” Happy jumped in. “We all know that you can fend for yourself when you’re out there as Spidey, but when you’re Peter, we can’t risk you doing something out of the ordinary.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter let out a sigh, his headache was starting to return and the more he argued the worse it seemed to get. “I guess that’s fine. Just, can we try really hard not to draw too much attention this time? It’s going to suck enough that everyone knows I got kidnapped. I really don’t want everyone seeing me followed by security everywhere.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>May reached for Peter’s arm and squeezed it. “It’ll be okay, the attention will go away again soon enough.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With the fight slowly leaving him, he just shrugged his shoulders instead. What did they know about it anyway? May wasn’t the one who was being paraded around social media like a cute adorable puppy. Peter’s the one who’s entire life was now seemingly fair game for anyone on the internet. It didn’t matter what happened to him, they were all going to talk about it and make assumptions. May would just never get that, she just had no idea what it felt like.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The discussion went on a little longer, Peter zoned out again. Right before everyone was getting to leave, Mr. Stark held out his hand. “Pete, stick around for a sec, okay?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>May and Happy exited the room, while Peter stayed seated. Mr. Stark walked over and sat down on the chair next to him. “Listen, kid. No need to do this brave face thing okay? Getting kidnapped sucks a lot.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, no shit,” Peter mumbled, partially to himself but Mr. Stark heard it but didn’t comment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve got something for you.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a very thin black band. “Hold out your arm.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter did so and Mr. Stark put the band around his wrist, the two ends snapping together and fitting snugly there. “A bracelet?” Peter questioned.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, a watch, really. It’s programmed to your DNA and fingerprints. You’re the only one able to activate it. Touch the top part.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter did so and a watch face appeared with the date and time, his heartbeat, and, surprisingly, the temperature outside.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If you swipe, you’ll get a menu to come up. You can access Karen there if you need her. You can also contact May, Happy, and me, you’ll be able to tell who is who based on the icons. If you want to add them for your friends, we can do that too.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter started to swipe, the icons appearing across the screens. “Uh, thanks?” He said with a little apprehension in his voice. He had a feeling this was more than just a nice little smartwatch. Mr. Stark just didn’t give him things, everything came with a catch 22.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It also has a panic button, both on that screen and then on the side. You push the little button on the left for more than a second, it alerts me and Happy to your location. There’s a tracker in there, works just like the one in your suit. It also monitors your vitals, in case you can’t hit the panic buttons or contact one of us. It’s set to trigger an emergency response if they seem like you’re in major distress.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Isn’t that a little invasive?” Peter questioned, he swiped through some more screens, seeing one that showed his current heart rate. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not any more than your suit, or other smartwatches for that matter. It’s not like I’m looking at the footage all the time. This is here to keep you safe.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“As I’ve said before, I can keep myself safe.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, when you’re Spider-man you do an alright job but this watch is for Peter Parker, so we don’t have another little adventure again.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter snorted, he couldn’t help it. “Peter Parker can also handle himself, he did escape on his own. But I mean, I can see why you’d want me to have this since you’re not willing to negotiate for my safe return.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mr. Stark shot him a weird look. “Is that what you think happened? We wouldn’t negotiate?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course, they told me you wouldn’t give them what they wanted.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There’s a reason we don’t give into kidnapping demands, Pete. They usually don’t give someone back, even when those demands are met. Guys like that also escalate their demands, the second they realize you’ve given in. I couldn’t risk it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yeah, Peter thought, you couldn’t risk losing all that money for just some kid. He looked at the watch sitting on his wrist. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fine, I’ll wear it,” Peter said, not bothering to hide the disdain in his voice. He got up and started towards the door. “We're done here? Can I go home now?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, sure, of course, kid.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He left without another word.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>+</span>
</p>

<p></p><div class="center">
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</div><p>
  <span>Peter’s mood went on a downward spiral the second he left the house for school. Nothing made it any better. Not even seeing Ned and MJ hovering at his locker for him. They looked worried and the second Peter arrived, Ned was already talking a mile a minute about what happened. He barely let Peter get a word in edgewise, especially since those words were going to be, I’m fine. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A gaggle of girls had passed them, one of which took a not so stealthy photo of Peter and he knew exactly where that was going to end up. He scowled at them, MJ caught the look and blocked Peter out of view from the group. He wanted to walk over and demand the girl delete the photo but he thought better of it a second later.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t worry about it,” MJ said to him as they walked towards their first-period class. “Those girls are just annoying brats.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lunch was, like usual, a nightmare. Peter still had his noise-canceling earbuds but killing the sound didn’t do anything to stop people from looking at him. All the eyes on him, it was sending his spider-sense into a spiral again. There was just way too much input happening, his head was starting to pound again. He just wanted to crawl into a hole and lay there, until everything just went away. He was now at a constant buzz of anxiety and agitation that wouldn’t allow him to sit still even if he tried. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you okay?” Ned asked him, for what would have been the 100th time that day alone. He had been drumming his fingers loudly on the table.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes,” Peter gritted out. He pushed his food around his plate, he wasn’t going to eat anything, nothing sounded remotely appetizing. If he just kept moving the food around, it would eventually look like he was eating. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t look okay,” Ned answered. “We can go find somewhere else to eat lunch, dude. You look like you’re suffering.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I am fine,” Peter said again, he stabbed his fork at the chicken on his plate and took a bite, mostly for show. If Ned saw he was eating, he’d nag him about it less. The chicken tasted dull and it took great effort to just swallow it down. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ned didn’t bother asking him again the rest of lunch, or even the rest of the day. He still kept shooting Peter a look of concern, which wasn’t any better. Right as he was packing up the last period of the day, his phone buzzed.</span>
</p>

<p></p><div class="center">
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</div><p>
  <span>Ned had been hovering at his shoulder, Peter shoved the phone in his pocket and stalked away to the sounds of Ned calling his name. He kept going, not even bothering to turn around. He had been looking forward to going to the Nano Lab, he wanted some sense of normality back in his life but now that was being taken away from him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He didn't say anything to the driver that was waiting to pick him up, instead he got into the car and slammed the door shut behind him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>+</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>School was much of the same the next day, Peter counted down the minutes until he could finally leave and go home. Thursdays after Academic Decathlon practice was his normal patrol night. He was feeling jittery and it only intensified as the day continued. Every look from strangers, every are you okay from Ned and MJ just added to the overwhelming feeling. Even worse was the ever-present headache he’d been having. There was a tiny part of him that knew he should tell someone about it, that it might not be a good thing but Peter pushed it down. Would anyone actually care? They’d just baby Peter even more if he complained about a stupid headache.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was so done with everything that he didn’t even care how badly he messed up during practice. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He answered questions incorrectly, a lot of them. Easy questions that he knew the answer to, but when he opened his mouth, nothing came outright. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Everyone was starting to look at him a little funny now too, he could hear them whispering, wondering if something was wrong with poor Peter Parker. He kept his mouth a thin line, just waiting for someone to say something to him. He almost wanted them to, he wanted a fight. Wanted to prove himself capable and show everyone that he didn’t need to be babied. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Practice ended and the group started to disband. Peter tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for Ned. Since he wasn’t getting picked up today, he had promised May he’d walk with Ned until he changed. He didn’t find it necessary but she had insisted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t worry about today,” MJ said to him, as he stood by the table. She was gathering the rest of the notecards, while Ned was putting away his books. “Everyone has off days.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter grunted in response, not even wanting to talk anymore, he just wanted to go. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Princess Parker,” Flash’s voice floated into his ear. He turned away from the table to see Flash standing at the doorway. “You’re so lucky Jones here is captain or you’d be off the team. She just feels sorry for you like everyone else does. Poor Princess Parker, damsel in distress!” He put a hand to his head as if he was going to faint.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Flash,” MJ started but Peter cut her off.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shut up, Flash.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Flash straightened and grinned. He sauntered up to where Peter stood. “Oh my god, are you actually sticking up for yourself? Shouldn’t you be letting Jones and Leeds fight your battle? Isn’t that what you prefer to do? Or maybe your little Iron Daddy is going to swoop in and save the day, huh?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shut. Up. Flash.” Peter spat out at him, he stepped an inch closer. They were almost nose to nose, the tension in the room was visible. Flash had said so much worse in the past, but this was getting old. “Stop running your mouth to both me and the press.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter had a sudden intense rush of adrenaline coarse through him, it felt as if his spider-sense was kicked into high gear.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Flash laughed, eyes locked onto Peter’s. “You’re bad at this, Parker. You didn’t even threaten me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And then Peter punched him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He moved so quickly that Flash didn’t even have time to defend himself. He was too close to him, the punch didn’t have as much impact as it could have. But he connected, hard to Flash’s face and a sickening cracking sound echoed in the gym. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Things happened very quickly after. Flash swung, Peter grabbed Flash’s fist, holding it in his hand so easily. “I’m more of a man of action, Flash.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He pushed Flash’s fist back, making him stumble backward. Ned and MJ were yelling at Peter, he felt MJ’s hand on his arm and he ripped it away and stalked towards Flash instead. “I’m sick of it. I’m sick of your mouth, Flash. Just shut the fuck up and go away.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Flash looked him at and then to MJ and Ned, then back to Peter. “You’re going to get expelled for this,” he said, the words coming out badly thanks to his now broken nose. He had his hand covering it, but the blood was seeping out between his fingers. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t think so,” Peter said back to him, walking even closer. Flash was scared, it was very clear, he backed up again, almost at the door. “I think you’re going to get the hell out of here and go home. Because I think you know what I’ll do if you don’t.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was a thick silence in the room. Peter could hear the fast heartbeats of everyone standing there, it was like an offbeat marching band took residence inside his brain. The anxiety he had felt before was still strumming in his veins, making him feel even more jittery even after Flash had backed away. Peter was still on fire, his hands shook with it, the feeling of wanting to punch Flash again, to put his hands on him and to hurt him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It took a second, but then Flash was gone and out the door. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter turned to his friend, they looked as scared as Flash did. “What?” He asked. “I thought you guys wanted me to stick up for myself.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Peter, this isn’t you, this isn’t like you at all,” Ned said, walking forward, hands up in a defensive manner. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter didn’t back away. “Why isn’t it? Doesn’t everyone want me to stand up for myself? Everyone’s worried about poor Peter Parker, everyone wants me to be followed around with security because I can’t stick up for myself. But there, there’s your proof that I’m far more capable than anyone thinks.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s not what we want,” Ned said, still in his defensive pose. “You don’t resort to violence Peter, that’s your whole thing remember? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this angry before.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why does everyone think that I don’t get angry or yell! I feel angry all the time now! I’ve just been holding it in all the time, just to make everyone happy. But I’m done, I’m not holding back anymore.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No one is saying that,” MJ started. Her voice was the exact opposite of how Peter’s. She was quiet and sure, Peter sounded frantic and scared. “You’re allowed to be angry with Flash, but you never get physical with someone. You’re so much better than that.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Ned said quickly, his voice didn’t sound nearly as calm as MJ’s had but he wasn’t moving forward anymore. “We know something is bothering you, Peter. Come talk to us, we’ll listen, no matter what it is.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No,” Peter shouted, his voice so loud, even to his ears. “There’s nothing to talk about. All you ever do is treat me like I’m made of glass like I’m some poor, scared little boy. That I’m weak and helpless. I’m not that, I’m fucking Spider-man, I’m stronger than all of you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Both MJ and Ned flinched but made no other movements. Peter searched both of their faces, for something, anything. He didn’t even know what he needed from them, what he wanted from them. He couldn’t even pinpoint exactly why he was so mad, why he punched Flash in the face. Something was coming out of him now, a fit of anger he had kept bottled up for so long. An angry not only towards Flash but to his friends, to his family, to Mr. Stark. He couldn’t put a lid on this now, even if he tried. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You just want me to be weak and pathetic. You just want me to be a helpless victim, don’t you? Someone who you can coddle and praise, someone who didn’t talk back,” he spat out, words like venom coming from his mouth. “It’s the only way I’d be friends with both of you, isn’t it? If I was just as damaged and weak as you two are.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ned flinched again and finally dropped his hands to his side. Peter could see the tears in his eyes, they did nothing but fuel his anger. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t mean that,” MJ said she stood closer to Ned. “You're angry and you’re hurt so you’re just trying to hurt others.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter faltered, if only for a second, but sneered at both of them. “Leave me alone. I don’t need either of you anymore.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He didn’t wait for a response, instead, he walked straight out of the gym and down the hall.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>+</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Peter, baby?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>May’s voice accompanied the knock she made on his door. He was still seething over his fight at school. He went patrolling, swung around looking for something to do, but the night went by quietly. He ended up getting home at 10:00, getting in through his window, and not bothering to talk to May. He had ignored several phones and texts from MJ and Ned. Eventually, they both gave up contacting him, Peter knew they’d eventually back away. They’d give up on him soon enough, it wasn’t like they actually really cared about him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s unlocked,” Peter answered from his bed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was scrolling through Twitter again, watching as people continually called him a “soft boi” and “baby”. He found the picture the girls took of him in the hallway from the day before. He was scowling at the girls, his forehead scrunched up, his eyes were dark and his hair was a mess. It had rained a little and the water caused the gel to let his curls come out. His face was a little flushed, the coloring made him look a lot younger. Everyone kept calling him a kicked puppy and he just wanted to respond and tell them he wasn’t just some helpless kid. Explain that he rescued himself from those kidnappers and his “iron dad” did nothing to help him at all. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But it wasn’t worth it, it wasn’t worth getting involved, they’d just dogpile on him some more. Claim he was just showing a brave face and tell him that he doesn’t need to do that, he can be sad if he wanted to be. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>May opened the door and stood in the entryway of his room. “How are you feeling?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fine,” he answered shortly, barely looking over his phone. He wondered if Ned and MJ had tattled on him. It seemed to be something people liked doing, going behind his back just to talk and discuss him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you sure?” She questioned, he could tell she was holding back what she really wanted to ask him, she knew something happened. “You know you can always talk to me about anything.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, I got that,” Peter said, not at all hiding the sharp tone in his voice. “Everyone keeps saying that but there’s nothing I want to talk about. I’m fine.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re home early from patrol?” She questioned lightly, she made a glance over at the suit Peter had tossed on his desk. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, nothing was happening, had better things to do.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay,” May said after a minute. “Do you want to come watch TV with me? I’ve got rocky road ice cream.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She looked at him with a hopeful smile, a part of Peter wanted to get up and go with her. He had been feeling so crummy lately, he needed a couch night, sitting and eating ice cream, and maybe watching a stupid movie together. But a part of him just didn’t want her sympathy, didn’t need her to coddle him like a kid. There was nothing wrong with him, he was fine. What would the internet think if they knew he sat up eating ice cream and watching movies with his Aunt? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve got homework,” he lied, giving her the best smile he could, despite not feeling anything like smiling. It was a weak lie, he wasn’t doing any homework and it was pretty late at night. The look on her face was telling, she didn’t believe him and for a second he thought she might push it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But she didn’t. “If you change your mind, let me know.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She hesitated at the door before closing it, leaving Peter alone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>+</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He had skillfully ignored Ned and MJ at school the next day. It was pretty easy, they avoided him as much as he did them, Flash even stayed clear of Peter. He was sporting an impressive black eye, Peter was almost proud of himself. He skipped lunch again, instead heading to the quiet library and sitting in a dark corner. He scrolled through Twitter some more, saw even more people worried about him, strangers, that saw pictures of him and thought he looked sad. People who wanted his Iron Dad to come give him hugs. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Instead of going to Nano Lab, he went out on patrol. He didn’t bother to text anyone, Mr. Stark probably wanted him to stay home again too. He didn’t technically ask May if he could patrol either, but he sometimes went out after his lab day anyway. She didn’t need to worry about where he was, after all, she could just ask Mr. Stark to track him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter sat on the ledge of a random rooftop, it was still early in the night, his curfew wasn’t until 1:00 am, and it was barely even 8:30 still. He had the whole night left to enjoy this patrol and freedom.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A call from Mr. Stark came up on the screen. With great reluctance, he told Karen to accept the call. He knew if he ignored it, he’d never hear the end of it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So,” Mr. Stark’s face said from a tiny corner of Peter’s screen. “I tell you to stay home from the lab so you can rest and then I get an alert that you’re out on patrol for the second day in a row?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yup,” Peter said cheerfully. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter didn’t need to look at his face to see the eyeroll. “You should be home resting.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Like I’ve been saying for a while, I’m good. I haven’t patrolled in ages, I just wanted to get out and do my job.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mr. Stark made an exasperated sound. “I get that, Pete but this isn’t the best time for you to be out.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why’s that? The guys didn’t go after Spider-man, remember? They went after Peter Parker because he’s your intern. As far as I’m concerned Spider-man’s not in danger of being kidnapped right now.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter really didn’t know why he was antagonizing Mr. Stark so much, somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew he was only trying to look out for him. But an even bigger part of Peter’s brain was reminding him that Mr. Stark got him into this mess completely. He sent Peter alone up to the lab, he made Peter go public, do the interviews, he made Peter more important then he needed to be, and to top it all off, it was all fake. Even this, this pretend concern for his well being, there had to be some alternative motive for it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s gotten into you lately, kid?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nothing, maybe it’s what's finally getting out of me. I don’t need your concern, Mr. Stark, I’m fine. I’m just patrolling, I don’t need a babysitter.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was waiting for Mr. Stark’s anger and as he had been at practice, he wanted a fight, he needed a fight. “I think you do!” He sounded angry and it made Peter grin. “You’re a 16-year-old kid.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Who is stronger, faster, and better than everyone else. A 16-year-old who can fend for himself without you and the suit, remember? You made sure I knew that pretty loud and clear, Mr. Stark.” Peter stopped swinging and landed on a roof. “I’ve got to go fight crime now, thanks bye.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He hung up before Mr. Stark could say another word. He stood on the rooftop and took a deep breath. That had felt, well, good. It made him feel relaxed even, maybe Mr. Stark would leave him alone now? Maybe he’d just back off. It was stupid, how much Peter had wanted the man’s attention at first, almost pathetic, wasn’t it? He begged Mr. Stark for a suit, he begged Mr. Stark for a chance and now the man is acting as if Peter didn’t deserve it. Wasn’t he the one that came and found him? Took him to fight a battle in another country?  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It took Mr. Stark ignoring him for Peter to realize he just really didn’t even need him. He thought maybe he’d call him back, or text him but after a few minutes neither happened. He moved from his spot, swung through the night, feeling a little lighter now that he didn’t have Mr. Stark hanging on him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was sitting quietly when he noticed two guys with guns standing inside an ATM alcove. “Deja vu,” Peter said to himself as he landed across the street. The guy wasn't wearing Avengers masks and from what Peter could see, there were no alien weapons this time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But as he did almost a whole year ago, Peter walked into the alcove and shut the door behind him. Unlike last time, one of the guys turned around immediately. “Forget your pin?” Peter asked and then, “dammit that's what I said last too. Ugh, gotta remember not to use the same jokes over again. Anyway, actually, can we try again?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Both guys had turned and were staring at Peter with a lot of confusion. Peter cleared his throat, opened his mouth, but couldn’t think of anything clever to say. Instead, he felt a thrill of anxiety shoot up his spine, he assumed this was his spider-sense and he went to move out of the way but nothing was coming at him. “Huh.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He stood still, as did the two robbers. Finally one of them spoke. “What the fuck is going on?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Um,” Peter started, his head was starting to hurt suddenly, a headache forming in the back of his brain. “Good question, this isn’t me at my best right now guys, sorry. I think instead of the humor, I’m just gonna start with the webbing you up.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He shot a web out at one of the guys, the one who had spoken, landing it on his wrist. The other finally sparked into life and went towards Peter. As per usual, Peter swiftly moved to avoid the guy swinging at him. He managed to get the guy he had webbed down on the ground. He wasn’t doing much, but the other guy came back full force and took another swing at Peter.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He grabbed the guy's hand, a shot of pain stabbed the back of his head again and he brought the guy’s arm down. It might have been a little too hard because he heard a loud snapping sound and the guy screamed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter let go immediately, he just broke the guy’s arm. “Shit, sorry,” Peter said apologetically, “that was my bad.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fuck you,” the guy said cradling his arm, he still moved forward, however, like he was going to try and punch Peter again. This time Peter punched him in the face and unlike the punch he gave Flash, this one was a lot harder. His fist connected with the guy’s face with a loud crunch sound and the guy dropped unconscious to the ground.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter stood, eyes wide, and looked at the guy that he’d already taken down to the floor. The guy sat there, staring transfixed at his friend on the ground and then up to Peter. “I thought you were fucking nice, man.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You were robbing an ATM!” Peter exclaimed, a sudden feeling of hysteria bubbling in his voice. “I’m not nice to criminals!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The guy on the floor coughed, blood came out of his mouth and he moaned. “Karen,” Peter said quickly, “call an ambulance and police, alright?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He didn’t hear if Karen responded, the other guy had gotten up and Peter turned on him, quickly. He had a moment or two of disorientation after he turned as if he had been spinning around in circles for hours, but it cleared itself. He stumbled back a little and then surged forward at the guy. He tried to move out of the way but Peter was faster, instead, he slammed the guy into the back wall. He stepped back and the guy fell to the floor on his butt. His eyes were glossy, Peter knew his head had made contact with the wall. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He felt like he had after he hit Flash, the adrenaline rushing through him, making him feel more and more agitated. He bounced on his feet, looking at the two men, eyes moving wildly between the two, ready to put up a fight if one of them moved.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A heartbeat or two went by and then the world came crashing down onto Peter. “Shit,” he said out loud and then turned around and ran out of the door. He could hear people shouting, the street wasn’t exactly empty when Peter went to the ATM and he was sure people saw him there.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He had hurt those men, he had hurt them a lot more than he intended. He knew everyone was staring at him, knew people had their phones out, and pointed towards the jittery Spider-man standing outside of an ATM with two unconscious bloodied guys inside.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He heaved, his head feeling cloudy, the world getting blurry and out of focus. He did the only thing he could think of doing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He fled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>+</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When Peter woke up Saturday morning, his head was pounding again. He knew it was from the lack of food, he had skipped dinner almost every night that week. He just wasn’t very hungry and he realized it was catching up to him. The thought of food made his stomach turn sour, he didn’t think he could eat anyway. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He tried not to think about the ATM robbery, how hard he hit both of the guys. Peter had worked hard to reign in his strength, to make sure he wasn’t using more force then necessarily. He knew he could hurt people a lot worse then he had been doing but it was never something he wanted to do.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maybe it was the lack of food and the headache that made Peter’s judgment slip just a little. Punching Flash was one thing, he deserved it, but these guys were just criminals.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He picked up his phone to see several text messages from Ned.</span>
</p>

<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    
  </p>
</div><p>
  <span>Peter didn’t respond, instead he flipped over to Twitter.</span>
</p>

<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    
  </p>
</div><p>
  <span>The videos and pictures painted a very interesting story, they weren’t the greatest shots, it was clear no one was very close to them. Most of them were across the street and blurry, but clear as day, you could see Spider-man not only punch one of the men to the ground but also all but throw the other one against the wall. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter flinched. He didn’t realize just how much force he’d used, not really. He knew he went maybe a little too much, but the video was daunting. What was worse was the video showing Spider-man walk out, look around, and then run away like he was the criminal.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His phone buzzed as he looked at a few photos, a call from Mr. Stark, he sent it to voicemail and then went back to check the photos. A text came through a second later.</span>
</p>

<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    
  </p>
</div><p>
  <span>He ignored them, just like he ignored Ned. He showered and dressed, when he finished he walked into the kitchen. May was sitting at the kitchen counter, there was a bagel on a plate at Peter’s spot.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Morning,” he said, taking a seat and grabbing the bagel right away. He avoided looking May in the eyes, no doubt she’d seen everything that happened.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you okay?” she asked. He shrugged and chewed his food, an excuse not to answer the question. “What happened last night?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He shrugged again. “Nothing, I just accidentally hit a little too hard. I had a headache, it happens.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>May was silent, Peter peered out of the corner of his eye to see her typing on her phone. “Are you talking to Mr. Stark?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She hesitated but then nodded. “He was worried about you like I am. That wasn’t like you, not like you at all. You’ve been acting a little… off since you got back.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter rolled his eyes, shoving the last of the bagel in his mouth. He chewed, eyes glancing over at May. He swallowed before talking. “I’m fine, okay? It wasn’t anything bad, I just hit a guy a little too hard. I’m sure he’s completely fine. You do realize I punched a bad guy right? This wasn’t like some little old lady on the street. You guys are overreacting, so is everyone else.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter got up abruptly. “I’ve got homework,” he said and then walked away, he shut the door behind him, trying not to slam it but it did anyway. He dropped on his bed and grabbed his phone again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He got back up, suddenly feeling very jittery. He wanted to go back out and patrol, to show people he wasn’t being too tough. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Peter?” May called out from behind his locked door. “Can I talk to you again, please?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He stood, transfixed. Either he answered the door and got a lecture or he put the suit on and went out. Yeah, he’d get a lecture about it later, but there weren’t any rules about going out as Spider-man on the weekends. He was free to do whatever he wanted, wasn’t he? He looked over at where he dumped his suit the night before, grabbed it, and shoved it into his backpack. If he told her he was going patrolling, she’d stop him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He walked over and opened the door. “I’m going to Ned’s,” he said, lying to her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh,” May said, “okay. Are you sure?” It must have taken her by surprise because she blinked at him a few times.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, we’ve got homework,” he said walking past her and towards the front door.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Will you be back for dinner?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sure,” he said and then walked out the front door. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>+</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He hadn’t gotten much action on patrol, Saturday nights usually yielded something, but instead, he found himself swinging around rooftops looking for trouble. He did stop two muggings, in both cases, he might have punched a little too hard, but he didn’t see why that mattered anymore. These were bad guys, they were going to hurt people. A few onlookers gave him odd looks and even more of them started taking pictures the second he landed on the ground. He had to bite his lip to stop himself from yelling at them, telling them to put away their stupid phones and leave him alone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He made it back in time for dinner on Saturday, but it wasn’t an easy-going affair. May knew something was up with him, she had a look in her eyes that wouldn’t leave. He almost wanted her to say something, to poke him, he was itching for it. Instead she made small talk with him, didn't even ask him how school was or his friends, instead talked about what was going on with her work lately. Peter didn't pay much attention, focused on shoveling pizza into his mouth as quickly as he could. When he got up to leave the table, he barely looked at her, mumbled something about homework and retreated back into his room. She didn't bother him the rest of the night, instead went about her business like Peter wasn't even in the house. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>By the time Sunday rolled around he was vibrating out of his skin. The anxiety was overwhelming, he just felt like he needed to do something, anything. He usually patrolled in the late afternoon but by 10 am, he was already putting the suit on. Mornings weren't usually a hot bed of activity, but there had to be something going on out there.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He poked his head out of the room to tell May he was leaving when he heard her on the phone. He sighed and walked out, he just wanted to tell her he was leaving, he didn’t want to wait but instead, he caught onto her conversation.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know, Tony, he’s just, something is wrong with him,” she said softly into the phone. It was clear she was worried he’d overhear her with his hearing. He hovered in the hallway, caught between going back into his room or listening.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Having super hearing meant easy dropping became a normal thing, usually he'd tune her out but not now, not when she was talking about him, especially to Mr. Stark.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know,” she was saying into the phone, after a long pause. “I know but I’m worried about this. He’s not the same, something is wrong. I know my nephew, my Peter and he’d never do something like this.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She paused again and Peter clenched his fist. Why did people always insist that they know him so well? They don’t know anything. No one really knew him, he was able to keep being Spider-man from her and everyone else in his life for a long time. If they knew Peter, they would have noticed his new found super powers. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think that’s a bad idea, Tony. That’ll make everything much worse, I think we just need to sit him down and talk to him. Maybe as a unit?” Another pause. “Not an intervention,” she laughed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter’s fist clenched again and then May laughed, loudly and then giggled. “Tony! He’s just a kid and honestly, can you see our Peter doing drugs? I mean, honestly, would he even know where to look?” Pause. “Well that’s you and that’s not my Peter. So no, not drugs, not alcohol. I think he’s stressed and something is bothering him. He’s also a moody teenager, so he’s got a lot going.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>More with the perfect Peter Parker bit, he thought. They always think he’s so perfect and the second he gets mad at people, they think he’s on drugs? Drinking? How unfair is that, they can’t even trust him to know his feelings?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter was shaking, his hands still clenched in tight fists, he took a deep breath and opened the door to his room, making sure he made a lot of sounds. He heard May yelp and then hang up quickly right before Peter arrived in front of her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, Petey, I didn’t think you’d be going out so early. I was hoping we’d stay in today, catch up, watch a movie.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’d rather go out,” he said sharply, and then, he did. He turned and left without another word, back into his room and out of his window. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>+</span>
</p>

<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    
  </p>
</div><p>
  <span>Peter didn’t want to see Mr. Stark on Monday, he didn’t want to walk into whatever intervention he might try to give him, instead he wanted to go back to his Nano Lab. At least there’d be fewer questions there. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter didn’t know the guy who drove him to the Tower, he didn’t greet Peter or ask any questions, it was nice and quiet. He let him out in the back, Peter was grateful for it. He made his way up to the Nano Lab, feeling better then he had over the last week. The second he hit the floor the lab was on, a sense of calm he'd been missing for days seemed to wash over him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Peter!” Megan exclaimed when he walked in. She was standing at her table, Simon was standing next to her holding a tablet. “We weren’t expecting you today.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Peter said, “change of plans.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He dropped his backpack and hopped on the stool. It’d been almost two weeks since he was working and he had to pull his mind back to what he was doing. He could tell Megan and Simon were looking at him. He ignored them and after a minute they seemed to go back to their work. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ten minutes later, Megan spoke up. “How are you feeling?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fine,” he answered, like a broken record player. The good mood he was feeling when he came in, was slowly going away again. He didn’t want questions, he just wanted to work. It’s why he didn’t go to Mr. Stark’s lab today. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s good. We’re all happy you're safe and sound.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter didn’t respond, just continued with his tablet. It sounded like Megan was going to speak up again, she cleared her throat but then didn’t say anything. Peter could still feel her eyes on him like she was waiting for something from him. It was the same feeling he'd been getting anytime Ned or MJ looked at him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was about to snap at her when Dr. Sandhurst poked his head out of his office. “Parker!’ he shouted and Peter took that as his cue to go into the office. When he arrived Dr. Sandhurst was sitting at his desk, he motioned for Peter to take a seat in one of the chairs.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You usually don’t come here on Monday.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is that a problem?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dr. Sandhurst grinned at him. “No. Are you going to be joining us every Monday?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter shrugged, he hadn’t thought about that. He was annoyed at Mr. Stark today, he knew eventually he’d have to talk to the guy again. He'd also make up with his friends eventually, too. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I thought you were Stark’s man.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No,” Peter defended. “I’m not, I’m not anyone's.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They sat in silence, Peter could feel the increase in his heartbeat, the headache starting to return to him, like a black storm cloud. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Even with that on?” He gestured towards the watch Peter still had on his wrist. He hadn’t realized he still had it on.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter moved his hand as if he wanted to hide it. “That doesn’t mean anything.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Very good then,” Dr. Sandhurst said. “It would be beneficial for you to stay in the Nano Lab. We can truly nurture your gifts. You don’t have to waste away being Stark’s errand boy.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not,” he spat out, “his errand boy. I’m not his anything. I’m just an intern.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The smile on Dr. Sandhurst's face gave him the chills, but only for a second. He tensed his shoulders up, he was waiting for a fight.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Very well,” Dr. Sandhurst said and then picked up a file from his desk. “Carry on, you’ve got a lot of work to catch up on.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>+</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Not talking to Ned and MJ also meant Peter skipped out on lunch. He didn’t want to sit in a loud cafeteria anyway. People were still looking at him funny. He was shocked that Flash didn’t seem to leak who had punched him out to anyone, including the press. He must have been embarrassed by it, he barely looked at Peter when they passed in the hallway. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He had Academic Decathlon practice again after school, he stood down the hallway from the gym, nervous energy making him jittery again. He wanted to go out and patrol instead, he needed to go out and patrol. What did it matter anyway? He messed up last week, they didn’t want him around. He was about to ditch when he caught MJ stalking up to him with determination in her eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Parker,” she barked out, her tone was angry. He had heard her angry before, but never aimed at him. “Are you coming or not?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No,” he said quickly without even thinking about it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She paused, looked him up, and down, with her arms crossed. She looked annoyed, but at the same time there was worry etched in her face. “Where are you going then?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“None of your business.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Still,” she said, “I’d feel better knowing what you’re doing.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you even actually care where I’m going or what I’m doing?” Peter asked, clenching his fists. He’d been doing it so much, his nails were making crescent moon shaped dents into his palm. “Honestly, MJ. You act as you hate us and yet you’re following me around like a puppy. I can’t really tell if you want us to like you or if you’re just a mean person.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She narrowed her eyes at him. “I know you don't mean anything you’re saying, so I’m going to just ignore it. Whatever is happening to you, you need to get it figured out. You’re hurting everyone who cares about you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Like who, MJ? Like Mr. Stark who only talks to me when he wants something? Like May who talks about me behind my back? Like Ned who only hangs around me because he has no one else to hang out with? Like you, who calls me a loser all the time?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She continued to stare at him down. “We’re all your friends, Peter. I don’t think you’re seeing what’s happening here. We just want to help you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, by talking about me behind my back!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because every time we try it on your face you start yelling and shouting at everyone! Geez, Parker, I’m trying to be nice but you’re making it difficult to even want to help you at this point.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good!” Peter shouted, actually shouted, “then don’t!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And he did what he’d been doing so much lately, he fled. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>+</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter ducked into an alleyway, one of his usual, and started to change into his suit. He was about to greet Karen, but his HUD was completely blank.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Karen?” he said into the darkness. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nothing. His phone went off and he looked down.</span>
</p>

<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    
  </p>
</div><p>
  <span>Peter’s blood boiled. He could still use the suit, it wasn’t as if it stopped being a suit without Karen, but dammit, it was the point of it all.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He swung to the Tower, he wanted to march in there and demand Mr. Stark unbrick his suit. He landed a block away, towards the back entrance. He ignored the looks and calls from people as he walked down the block and into the back of the building. FRIDAY greeted him at the elevators, he ignored her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He stormed his way up to the lab, ripping his mask off the second he walked into the room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey Pete,” Mr. Stark said calmly at the sight of him. He was sitting at a stool, he looked busy working on something, he didn’t even look. “Heard you stomping your way up here from the ground floor.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why did you brick my suit?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mr. Stark dropped what he was working on and walked away from the table. “Something’s going on, Pete. We need to figure it out. I’m worried about my spider baby”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter flinched at the nickname. “It’s Spider-man and there is nothing to figure out, Mr. Stark. I want to patrol and you’re treating me like a baby.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is that what’s bothering you lately? It’s just a nickname, Peter. I didn’t mean anything by it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter snorted. “It’s not just the nickname. You treat me like a baby all of the time. You tell me what to do, you,” he held up his wrist, “tag me. You spy on me. You don’t let me do anything that I want to do.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mr. Stark stilled, he clenched his fists and Peter mirrored it. “Peter,” Mr. Stark said, the tone of his voice matching the one he last heard after the ferry incident. “I don’t know what kind of bullshit teenager angst this is, but you know damn well that I’m not trying to baby you. I treat you like the teenager that you are.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A teenager that can lift a bus, a teenager that can bring down a plane, a teenager that saved all of your goddamn things even after you took everything away from me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mr. Stark didn’t let up. “All I’m trying to do is help you be better. I thought we talked about this, I thought we worked all of this out.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“When?” Peter spat back at him. “When did we talk about this? We didn’t! We never did, you just dangled the Avengers in front of me, and when I said no, you dumped me back in Queens. You promised you’d call me, you promised you’d let me meet the team. You’ve been spending your time telling the whole goddamn world that I’m some kind of son to you but you never, ever, said that to my face. I know it’s a lie, Mr. Stark. I know you don’t mean any of this, so let’s just drop the act.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re wrong, kid. You got this all messed up,” Mr. Stark started and then took a step forward. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not your kid,” he said sternly. “You’re not my Dad, you’re not my best friend, you are hardly even my mentor anymore.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter backed up and shook his head, the pounding was getting worse and worse. He had to squeeze his eyes shut or he might have thrown up everywhere. In the quick seconds it took him to regain some self-control Mr. Stark was already talking and walking closer. “Peter, something’s going on with you. I’ve been patient enough with your attitude, you need to think about what you’re saying to me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He opened his eyes. “I have been thinking about it. I’ve been thinking about it for a long time and guess what? I’m done. Keep your suit and your internship, I’m done. I want out. I don’t want this,” he ripped off the watch on his wrist and threw it to the ground. “I just want to go back to my life the way it was before you walked into it. Before you made it worse.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He didn’t wait for a response, instead, he walked straight out of the lab.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>+</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter got as far as the elevators before his head exploded with pain. It was like nothing he’d ever felt before, his entire body was on fire. Every nerve ending sparked to life and lit up, sending bursts of electricity through his veins. He clutched at his mask, tearing it off of his face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He dropped to his knees as the elevator doors shut, he squeezed his eyes closed, bringing his palms up to his eyes. He never wished more for Mr. Stark to come and get him to follow him because something was wrong, this was not right and not okay.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He surged back to his legs, they felt like jello, he had no idea how he was standing. He moved, fingers blindly pressing the elevator buttons. No, he thought, I want to go back to Mr. Stark.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He felt the elevator moving and he stumbled backward, slamming into the back wall with a thud and sliding down to sit on his butt. His vision was almost completely blackout, he could barely see, barely think, barely breathe, everything was just so, so, wrong.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The elevator stopped, the door opened and standing, waiting, with a devilish grin of malcontent was Dr. Sandhurst.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Finally,” he said, his voice felt like gravel in his ears. He tried to duck down, huddle himself into a tiny ball, but nothing, nothing was working anymore. “Just let go, Peter,” Dr. Sandhurst said as he stepped into the elevator with him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter didn’t want to, he wanted to get out and run, he needed to. His spider-sense was flaring at him but it didn’t matter. It only took a second more before he cried out and then, there was nothing. </span>
</p>
<p>+</p>

<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    
  </p>
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  <p>
    
  </p>
</div><div class="center"></div><div class="center">
  <p>
    
  </p>
</div><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Ahh, I hope this chapter delivers!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Ngggh, thank you all so much for the lovely comments!! There was a lot of blushing and clapping on my end each time the notification came into my inbox. :D</p><p>I really hope the climax of this story is worth the build up!!</p><p>This chapter also contains violence, but once again, it sides up to canon levels. Nothing too graphic or anything. Also, there is a lot of science and medical handy wavy stuff happening. I tried so very hard to put a lot of real elements into this but I’m also writing you know, a comic book story, so I took some nice liberties when I could.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>When Peter opened his eyes, he didn’t know where he was. His mind was cloudy, the room was just full of blurry shapes with no movement. It took several minutes of breathing, deeply and evenly before things started to become clearer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Even when the room came into view, he didn’t recognize where he was. The room was dark, the only light coming from the moon through the windows. There were three large tables around him, each covered in various lab equipment. His best guess was some sort of lab, it didn’t look like any of the ones in Stark Tower.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He blinked a few times, his body slowly starting to come back to him. He was sitting in a chair, his arms and legs weren’t tied together. He wasn’t being held down by anything, he was simply just sitting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I see you’ve finally woken up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter’s head snapped to the right, Dr. Sandhurst had just strolled into his peripheral view. His face sparked a memory into Peter’s mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’d you do to me?” He asked, his voice grated against his throat like sandpaper. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sandhurst’s mouth twisted slightly as if he was all too happy to answer the question. He moved closer until he was standing directly in front of Peter. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was at that moment that Peter realized that he couldn’t move.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nothing but panic raced through him as he tried to make any movement besides his head but he couldn’t. His heart raced, his breathing increased, and moved his head back and forth, just to prove to himself he could do something. He could feel his body still, everything was there but nothing but his head was seemingly moving with his commands. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He only stopped when Sandhurst laughed loudly and Peter snapped his attention back to the man still standing in front of him. “Are you finished with your panic yet? I’m assuming you’ve discovered that you are unable to move.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What did you do to me?” He repeated the fear in his voice took him by surprise. He swallowed roughly, trying so hard to make any kind of movement, but it was fruitless.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve taken over control of you,” Sandhurst answered simply as if it was a completely normal thing to say to someone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you talking about?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m talking about full mind and body control, Parker. I have complete control over every single part of you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s science fiction,” Peter said quickly, his heart raced. “That’s not real.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter started to feel a little hysterical, he couldn’t believe what was happening. He tried again to move, to push himself to do something, but nothing was happening. It had to be some kind of joke, Sandhurst had to have given him some kind of drug to keep him paralyzed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess I’ll just have to provide you with a demonstration.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Without any input from his own body, Peter suddenly stood up and walked straight over to a lab table. He tried to open his mouth, but he couldn’t anymore, tried to use his voice but nothing was happening. What was even scarier to him, was the fact that he had no idea what he was trying to do. He could still feel everything, all of his senses were perfectly intact, but he wasn’t in control of any of them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sandhurst wasn’t a voice in his head either, his entire body went on its way without any input from anybody. He was like a marionette doll, invisible strings were guiding Peter to where he needed to go. He had to watch as he reached over and turned on one of the bunsen burners. He could feel the metal underneath his fingertips, he could feel the warmth of the fire as it flared up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He lifted his right hand and hovered it just inches above the flame, the heat licking at the skin of his palm. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Believe me now, Parker? If I wanted to I could make you stick your hand right into the flame. As by now, I’m sure you can tell, you’d still feel the pain but you wouldn’t be able to stop, not until I let you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter’s hand hovered over the flame for what felt like minutes before he pulled it away and with the other hand, turned off the flame and then walked back to the chair. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not going to make you do it, of course,” Sandhurst said with an air of arrogance in his voice that Peter recognized all too well. “I need you to help me with something.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not helping you do shit,” he spat out. Peter’s mind was reeling with the information, with what he’d just witness himself do. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you talk to your Aunt with that mouth, Parker?” He laughed again. “Here I thought Spider-man enjoyed helping others. Isn’t that your gig, Parker? Friendly neighborhood Spider-man?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As the words left his mouth, the realization hit Peter like a ton of bricks. He had completely forgotten he had been wearing the suit in the elevator. If Sandhurst knew of his strength and abilities, he could make him hurt people. Sandhurst could turn Peter into a weapon and there wasn’t anything he could do about it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I took the liberty of removing your suit while you were in Stark Towers still. Couldn’t have Spider-man walking around town with me, now could I? And don’t you worry, the suit’s safe, I have plans for both you and Spider-man.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter opened his mouth to speak but he found himself too panicked to even try. The panic bubbled up inside of him again. He was going to give himself a heart attack at this rate, he needed to calm down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sandhurst made an annoyed sound and Peter caught an eye roll. “Can you please try and get yourself together, Parker?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter’s retort was stuck in his throat and instead, he closed his eyes and tried to level his breathing. He was trying to take stock of what he was in control of, he could seemingly control his breathing, he could close his eyes but that seemed about it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I assume you’re wondering how this is all happening?” Sandhurst continued, he seemed to be enjoying himself very much. He didn’t wait for Peter to speak and instead launched into his explanation. “It’s a fantastic story if I do say so myself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He opened his eyes slowly, Sandhurst was still standing there, looking even more annoyed. “You remember the type of research I’m doing, correct?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter nodded and when Peter didn’t reply he made another loud sigh. “Your research is on using neural prosthetics to enhance neuronal signaling. You said it was to help people with brain injuries.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, guess what? I lied,” Sandhurst said, the grin on his face reminded Peter of a shark’s smile. “I suppose it could be used in that way, but I’m using it to focus on something a lot more useful.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You see, Parker, some people in this world are born with special abilities, abilities that are far beyond what the normal person could do. Much like your own abilities that caused you to become Spider-man.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter didn’t correct, it was just easier to let the man assume he was born with the ability. Peter had the strangest feeling that Sandhurst had rehearsed his monologue several times in the mirror.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was gifted with the ability to not only feel what others felt but to be able to influence people’s feelings. As a young child, I realized I could link myself to someone’s emotions and manipulate them as much as I wanted to. My strongest link was to those who were emotionally compromised, those who were too weak-willed. Negative emotions, like anger, hurt, pain, suffering, sadness… all of those make someone weaker and easier to influence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I took the time to nurture my abilities until I could push people more and more with my influences, but it was not enough!” He paused, his voice rising with a little anger before he took control of himself again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I had to find a way to get into people’s minds, a way to strengthen my influence, a way to control someone. It wasn’t until I realized what could be done with nanotechnology, did I see what I had to do. I have spent decades developing my control discs. They work much like a disk controller in a computer. While that one enables the communication between a CPU and a disc drive, mine facilitates communication between my brain and the disc inside anyone’s brain.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He paused, as if he was waiting for Peter’s approval, or maybe even his applause. Peter didn’t make any indication he wanted to say anything, Sandhurst looked disappointed for a moment before he moved on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Although my control discs were a success, I still could not gain control of those who weren’t weak enough. I discovered I needed a much more powerful connection between myself and the wearer. When I began at Stark Industries I was attempting to create this new more powerful connection. I was certain Stark had something I was missing, that he was hiding technology that I could use! And then everything came together when you, Parker, showed up in my lab.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It clicked in Peter’s head then, exactly why Sandhurst needed his help and why he was so interested in Peter’s work. This time he did open his mouth. “The carbon nanotubing I was developing, it’s what you need to make a stronger connection isn’t it? You couldn’t figure out how to do it on your own, that’s why you were so interested in my work.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The grin waived for a second but Sandhurst continued. “Unfortunately, yes, Parker. While I am confident I would have been able to create it on my own, your research has become very valuable to me. I realized if I implemented your carbon nanotubing inside of a device, like a control helmet, the strength of the tubing provided me with a stronger connection to the control discs. Strong enough that if I pushed a connection, even on someone with the strongest will power, I could gain control of them.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why do you need me?” Peter said quickly, hoping Sandhurst wouldn’t cut off his words. “Why not just steal my work from me and do it on your own?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“At first that was my plan, Parker but I realized your connection with Stark. No matter how much you claimed to just be an intern, you meant more to him. I’ve always hated Stark and his arrogance and what better way to take the man down, then with someone who he greatly cares about?  Stark practically handed you to me and it’s even better to have you take him down for me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But he doesn’t,” Peter blurted out. “He doesn’t care about me at all.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sandhurst laughed a loud bark that echoed in the tiny lab. “Haven’t you caught on by now, Parker?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter tried to control his breathing but he was feeling as if he was about to start hyperventilating. All the panic and anxiety was starting to expand more and more inside of him. He could feel Sandhurst’s arrogance, his pride, his joy in torturing Peter like this. He could feel Sandhurst’s emotions in his mind now, much clearer than before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How long?” Peter asked, the hysteria making its way into his voice. “How long have you been in my head?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sandhurst laughed again, a gleeful one this time, it made Peter’s blood run cold. “I’ve been in your head the second you walked into my lab. You were so pathetic. So upset with Stark for abandoning you, for throwing you out there into the wolves. He had discarded you, ignored, and made you feel like a burden. I simply helped you develop those feelings.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He paused again, waiting for the words to sink inside Peter’s mind. “The absolute best part of this was that I barely had to lift a finger. Stark did a lot of the heavy lifting with his arrogance and pathetic people skills. And you, Parker, you had all of those negative feelings deep down inside of you just waiting to come out. I watched those seeds of distrust and anger grow and grow.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The room seemed to be closing in on Peter, everything that had happened over the last month was starting to playback in his mind. Had Sandhurst done something to him? Had Sandhurst made him angry? No, he couldn’t have. It didn’t make any sense, there was no way. Peter knew where his anger was coming from. He had been justified in yelling at Mr. Stark, at punching Flash, they deserved it. Sandhurst couldn’t have made Flash bully him or Mr. Stark ignore him. All of those things were simply out of Sandhurst’s control. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That doesn’t make sense,” Peter said desperately, “you couldn’t have caused any of the things that happened. You couldn’t have known how I’d react, what I’d say to someone. You weren’t even anywhere near me when stuff happened. How could you have made Mr. Stark give that interview? There was no way you knew what was going to happen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re missing the point, Parker. I didn’t need to make anything happen. I didn’t care how we got there, I just needed you to lose control of yourself, to let your negative emotions overwhelm you. Your obsession with social media, your disdain for the reporters following you around, that was always you. Sure, I may have helped a little, leaked a few stories to the Bugle about you but it hardly mattered. The more isolated you started becoming from your friends and Stark, the weaker you become. Even without me, you would have walked down this path, I was just there to take advantage of it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sandhurst looked proud but Peter felt the exact opposite. He felt sick to his stomach with shame and regret. He’d hurt people not because Sandhurst had control of him, but because he couldn’t control himself. He made it easier for Sandhurst to take him, he walked right into every single trap Sandhurst set for him and he had no clue. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>+</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sandhurst wouldn’t answer any more of Peter’s questions, he wouldn’t even let Peter speak anymore either. He wore the smug smile on his face as he puttered around the lab, getting things ready for Peter to use. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He forced Peter to walk over to one of the lab tables and sit on a stool. He had a very large, ugly metal helmet on one of the tables, with circuits and computers hooked up inside of it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He showed Peter the helmet and all the tools he had available for him. He explained what he wanted Peter to create, to put together. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He seemed to graciously let Peter speak when he finished. Peter knew he was looking for praise. “Why are you so sure this will work? I haven’t even tested any of the tubings, not to mention the fact that it wasn’t meant to be used in this way.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sandhurst chuckled. “I’m very sure it will work, Parker. And if it doesn’t, I’m sure I can provide you with enough incentive to make it work. Wouldn’t it be so sad if Spider-man attacked innocent people?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had no idea what Sandhurst’s actual plans were once he finished creating the helmet for him. He knew Sandhurst was a proud man, he had so much joy in bragging to Peter about what he’d done and it worried Peter that he didn’t mention his plan yet. He must be saving it for the perfect moment.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter worked on the helmet as Sandhurst hovered beside him. The man gleed at every move Peter made, as he slowly helped implement his technology into the helmet. Sandhurst had been right in some ways, what he was doing seemed to be working, but Peter couldn’t help but notice one glaring error. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sandhurst didn't take into consideration the output that could come from one of the control discs. In essence, what Peter was working on was all circuits, and those can become overwhelmed if everything isn’t balanced and what Sandhurst had presented him, just wasn’t enough balanced. It was something Peter had been running into himself and had yet to figure out a way to fix it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was about to open his mouth again, but a quick realization dawned on him that he didn’t need to. Sandhurst wasn’t forcing Peter, to tell the truth, he didn’t seem to have that kind of control. He had given Peter the command to work on the helmet without much else instruction. Sandhurst was in control of Peter’s body, his actions, he may be able to influence his mind, but Peter’s thoughts were his own. Peter could make decisions on how to move things, he could use his knowledge and intelligence to make those choices, he just couldn’t do anything else that wasn’t working on the helmet.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He could leave the error in there and hopefully find a way to exploit it before Sandhurst’s plan went into motion. He had been keeping a sharp eye one, Peter, the entire time he worked, Peter had to think of a way to distract him, so maybe he wouldn’t notice the error at all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If there was one thing he was certain, it was just how big Sandhurst’s ego was and how much he loved to brag about his achievements. If Peter could keep him talking, he might be too distracted to notice anything.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter cleared his throat, to test and see if he could talk again. He tried to keep his tone even and light as if he was impressed with what Sandhurst was doing. “I have one of your control discs in my brain, right? When did you have time to perform brain surgery on me?” Peter questioned, which had been an honest question on his mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It wasn’t brain surgery, Parker. It was just a small injection in the back of your neck. You’ve had it for longer than you even know. Remember your kidnapping adventure?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter’s heart dropped a little. Had it been that long since Sandhurst put a control disc in him? “You were responsible for that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course! I must say I’m rather proud of that one. My plan was just to grab you and give you the disc without your knowledge before sending you back to Stark. No one would have been the wiser and I’d have you completely under my control. However, you started to get along with Stark again, I could feel just how happy and content you were when he came and got you from the lab. Humiliation and embarrassment are such damming emotions, Parker. I had to make you feel as if Stark didn’t care about you at all. The truth of the matter is, he never even saw the videos and even better, you were so angry with him you never even bothered to ask! It couldn’t have worked out more perfectly even if I tried.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But you didn’t have complete control over me after I got kidnapped. I would have known,” Peter said, a little uncertainty in his voice. “If you didn’t have control over me, why did you bother letting me go then?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re right,” Sandhurst sounded annoyed but continued. “I underestimated you. I found myself in greater control of your emotions, but not you entirely. Even with the disc, you still have to be weaker. I decided to let you go and see just how far I could push you. And might I say, you lashed out wonderfully. I didn’t think you had it in you Parker, but you were violent and angry. You hurt people without hesitation, the more you did it, the more I was able to grab hold of you. Angry people are the easiest to be manipulated, they can’t see past their pain and realize what’s happening to them. I didn’t know how long it would take, but I knew you’d eventually lose it completely. It was just my luck you were in Stark’s lab when it happened.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter’s mind whirled, it took a lot of concentration to continue his work on the helmet. He did walk straight into Sandhurst’s plan. He did everything Sandhurst wanted him to do and he didn’t even realize he was doing it. How much of what he thought was his? How much of it was real? He remembered exactly what he did to Flash, to the robbers, he remembered the feeling of anger and hate he had, the anxiety that took over him but was that Sandhurst or Peter? Was he that angry? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I never made you do anything you weren’t capable of doing or wanted to do,” Sandhurst said in a smug tone like he knew it would be a gut punch to Peter’s stomach. “You did everything on your own, you’ve got no one to blame other than yourself. For all the strength that Spider-man has, you’re just weak, Parker. You let me do this to you, you didn’t even fight back at all.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter had to fight back the urge to throw up. He didn’t want to believe what Sandhurst was saying to him, but it was true. Sandhurst didn’t make Peter do anything, he did it all on his own.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Neither Sandhurst nor Peter spoke again for the next few hours. Sandhurst kept him hard at work, while the man watched on, only occasionally offering assistance. The only thing Peter had to hold onto was the error that still sat within the coding. Sandhurst hadn’t noticed it and now it was too late for him too. He knew he could use the error to his advantage, he just had to figure out how he was going to do it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The sun was starting to come up, bringing new light into the lab before him. Peter felt tired but yet his body continued working without lag. His stomach let out a large growling noise, Sandhurst just chuckled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know,” Peter started. “People are going to start looking for me pretty soon.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure,” Sandhurst said dully. “Doesn’t mean they are going to find you. As far as they know, you’ve just run away after your spat with Stark. Don’t you think I haven’t thought of everything? The Tower’s videos are wiped clean, your tracker in your suit is disabled. The only thing here is you and your phone, when you’ve completed my helmet we’ll carry on to phase two of my plan.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>+</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter had finished the helmet several hours later and judging by the light in the lab, it was probably late afternoon. His mind was tired, the work Sandhurst had him doing wasn’t hard but Peter couldn't remember the last time he ate or slept. It had been at least a whole day and Sandhurst didn’t seem too keen on providing him with anything besides water. I</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It didn’t seem to matter how Peter felt physically, it seemed that as long as he was awake, Sandhurst could make him work himself to the bone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When he finished, Sandhurst could barely contain his glee as he put the helmet over his head. Peter couldn’t tell a difference with Sandhurst’s connection to him, but Sandhurst seemed to be happy with the results. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had forced Peter to change back into his suit but withheld his mask from him. Peter’s heart raced, there wasn’t going to be a good reason for Peter to be back in the suit. Whatever Sandhurst was going to make him do, it wasn’t going to be good.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He produced Peter’s phone from somewhere and had Peter send a single text message to Mr. Stark.</span>
</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    
  </p>
</div><p>
  <span>The phone rang immediately and Peter answered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kid,” Came Mr. Stark’s voice the second he picked up. “Where are you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Somewhere,” Peter answered with his voice, but not his own words. “I just need you to come here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you okay?” Peter could hear the trepidation in his voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I’m fine. I just need you to come here, okay? I promise I’ll explain everything.”</span>
</p><p>"Why don’t you come to the Tower?”</p><p>
  <span>“Mr. Stark,” Peter’s voice was stern and sharp, a tone that was foreign to even himself. “Just meet me at the address, please.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a pause before Mr. Stark answered. “Yeah, okay, I’ll be there in 10, Pete. Just don’t go anywhere else, okay? I promise I’ll be there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter ended the call without another word and tossed the phone back over to Sandhurst. He caught it and put it in one of his pockets. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I knew he’d come for you,” Sandhurst said, he directed Peter to stand by one of the tables. “You’re going to make use of your strength for me now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you going to make me hurt him?” Peter asked, but he knew the answer to that question.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes! Stark deserves it!” Sandhurst answered loudly. “Stark deserves to suffer, doesn’t he? Don’t you remember how mad you were at the man? You hated him, Parker. You wanted to hurt him, I’m just going to give you the opportunity. But don’t worry, you aren’t going to kill him. I just need him a little unconscious before I give him the control disc.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter’s heart was stammering almost painfully in his chest again. He knew Mr. Stark would show up without any backup. He had no reason to believe something was wrong with Peter, he just thought he was angry with him. Sandhurst walked away, leaving Peter to wait in agony for Mr. Stark to show up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What seemed like an eternity passed before he could hear Mr. Stark arriving, the sound of the car pulling up, door shutting and then footsteps coming to the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pete?” Mr. Stark called out as he pushed the door open. He walked in and when he caught sight of Peter, he surged forward towards him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter took one step backward and Mr. Stark stopped suddenly. “Kid,” he said softly. “Are you okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was odd seeing him again. When Peter had left the lab, he’d been angry at him, he’d been disappointed and annoyed but now, those feelings weren’t as strong. He was mad at him, Mr. Stark had ignored him but something was missing from that anger. Peter had the sick realization that Sandhurst had been right all along, what was missing from Peter’s emotions right now was Sandhurst’s influence. He could still feel it, just a little, but it wasn’t nearly as hard as before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m fine,” Peter answered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ve been trying to reach you for the last few hours. No one knew where you went and you weren’t answering your phone. That doesn’t sound like someone just fine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter rolled his eyes. “I’m sure you were very worried about me, Stark.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a quirk in Mr. Stark’s expression and Peter knew it was from the use of just his last name. Sandhurst must not realize how foreign that sounded coming out of Peter’s mouth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, kid, I am. Why don’t we call May? She’s been worried too. We can all meet up back at the Tower and talk about some things. I think we’ve been on the wrong page for a while now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’d rather not,” Peter answered. “I don’t want to talk with you, Stark, or anyone else for that matter.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What does that mean, Pete?” Mr. Stark sounded worried he could see it in his face, it was clear that Mr. Stark knew something was wrong. “You’re the one who asked me to come here, weren’t you? Unless someone is making you do this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I lied to you, Stark. I just wanted to see how much you cared if you were going to even bother to show up. No one is making me do anything, for once I’m not taking orders from you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mr. Stark was silent for a second and then his demeanor completely changed. He originally came off as relaxed and placating but now he straightened up and gave Peter a hard look. “What’d you do with my kid?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was never your kid, Stark. I never wanted to be and I never will be.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know who you are, but you’re not Peter Parker.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter smirked. “Maybe you never really knew me to begin with?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mr. Stark took a step forward and Peter could tell he was going to try and touch him. He wished he wouldn’t, he knew Sandhurst wanted him to subdue Mr. Stark, he was just scared as to how Sandhurst intended for him to do it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just before Mr. Stark touched his arm, Peter moved out of his grasp.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pete, I’m not going to hurt you,” he said slowly as if Peter was a wild animal he was trying to catch. And maybe, now, in a way he was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Too bad,” Peter said. “I can’t say the same for me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter suddenly surged forward, barreling straight into the man. Mr. Stark hadn’t seen the movement coming, he didn’t have any time to react. Instead, he landed with a loud thud on the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter climbed onto him straddling his chest, knees on both sides and his hands went straight around Mr. Stark’s neck. He placed his thumbs right over his Adam’s apple and began to apply pressure. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everything was happening so fast, Peter could barely keep up with his own body. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mr. Stark kept his eyes locked on Peter as his hands tightened around his neck. “Kid,” he gasped out, “I know you don’t want to do this. I know you’d never hurt me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter could feel the skin underneath his hands, feel Mr. Stark trying to swallow down more and more air, getting less and less successful. Peter wanted to scream, let go and run but instead he just kept putting pressure down. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mr. Stark started to move underneath him, trying to dislodge him but it wasn’t enough. Peter didn’t move as Mr. Stark started to become more and more desperate, his hands clenching into Peter’s arms hard enough to bruise. He kept trying to kick up but Peter barely moved an inch at the force. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nothing but fear laced through Peter’s entire body, Sandhurst said he wasn’t going to let him kill Mr. Stark, didn’t he? He needed him alive, he had to stop choking him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just when Peter thought there was no way he would stop, he did. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He let go of his neck with one hand and then punched Mr. Stark square in the face. He went lax underneath him as if he’d finally passed out. Peter listened to the steady heartbeat coming from the man, closed his eyes in relief to hear it. He needed the assurance that Mr. Stark was still alive. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He felt Sandhurst’s presence next to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Get up,” he barked at him. Peter got to his feet and moved to stand on the floor next to Mr. Stark. Sandhurst leaned over to inspect the unmoving man on the ground. He crouched down, looking over Mr. Stark as he did. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had just started to stand up when Mr. Stark jumped up and his Iron Man armor flew up and over his body in a matter of seconds. It reminded Peter of a jump scare from a horror movie, the last-minute rise of the dead villain.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was clear Sandhurst wasn’t expecting it, he fell backward onto his butt and then scrambled to get up. Mr. Stark was faster, he managed to easily grab Sandhurst by the front of his shirt and drag him up to his feet. He hadn’t brought up the Iron Man helmet yet, Peter could see the look of disgust and anger that covered his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sandhurst, on the other hand, was smiling again, the same predatory smile he’d seen before. Peter knew this wasn’t over yet, this wasn’t going to end so easily. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Basil,” Mr. Stark said sharply. “I didn’t think you were smart enough for something like this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter started moving again, towards one of the lab tables. He had turned his head away from the two men and he wanted desperately to look back at them. He tried to call out to Mr. Stark, but he couldn’t speak again. He reached out for something on the lab table beside him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You've always underestimated me, Stark,” Sandhurst answered him. “You have no idea the kinds of things I’m capable of. I would consider letting me go now unless you want to find out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you going to do about it, Basil? Can’t do much from here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t need to do anything, Stark. I think Parker can take care of some motivation for you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I would listen to him, Stark,” Peter walked forward as he spoke, the gun in his hand pointed directly to his temple. Mr. Stark’s move was immediate, he let go of Sandhurst, the man staggered backward. Mr. Stark turned towards Peter instead, a look of worry replaced the anger.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kid,” Mr. Stark said. “Put the gun down.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s not going to happen, Stark,” Peter spoke, not with his own words again. “He’s under my complete control.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mr. Stark stilled looking directly at Peter. “I know you’re still in there, Pete. You have to try and break control. I know you don’t want to do this, put the gun down.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sandhurst laughed, as he straightened up and walked over and stood beside Peter. He placed his hand on Peter’s shoulder. “He’s not going to be able to break control, Stark. If you do anything, anything at all, I will not hesitate.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter’s finger graced the trigger, the movement was slight but he knew Mr. Stark had seen it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you want, Basil?” Mr. Stark asked he kept his eyes glued onto Peter still like he was too scared to look away. “Pete, look at me, okay? Keep your eyes on me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What I wanted,” Sandhurst said through gritted teeth. “was for Parker here to knock you out and for you to get one of my control discs.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your what?” Mr. Stark questioned and then he shook his head slightly. “You know what? I don’t care. How about you let Pete go and I’ll take one of those disc things, easy peasy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sandhurst snorted. “I don’t see how you think that’s going to work, Stark. If you haven’t noticed, I hold all of the cards right now. I was going to go about this the easy way, but now I think I’m just going to do this the fun way.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a moment of silence in the room, Peter was trying to stay as calm as possible, keep his breathing even and slow down his wild heartbeat. The gun was resting against his temple and he kept his eyes locked onto Mr. Stark’s. It was the only thing that was keeping him sane at the moment. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think,” Sandhurst started. “That I’m just going to let the two of you fight it out. Iron Man vs Spider-man, mentor vs mentee, pseudo father vs pseudo son.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The color in Mr. Stark’s face drained completely and Peter knew he was doing the same. With Sandhurst in control of him, he wouldn’t be able to stop himself when fighting. He wouldn’t be able to control his strength and reign back on what he could do to  Mr. Stark. He could hurt him, or worse he could kill him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not going to fight him,” Mr. Stark answered, he finally looked away and to Sandhurst. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Once again, why do you two think you have any free will in this? You either fight the boy or I’ll have him take himself out of the equation. There’s no way out of this Stark, either way, you lose. I’m just going to have fun watching the two of you destroy each other.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mr. Stark looked away from Sandhurst and met Peter’s eyes again. Peter slowly moved the gun from his temple to instead point directly at Mr. Stark. Sandhurst took several large steps away from the two of them, leaving them standing roughly seven or so feet from each other. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey Pete,” Mr. Stark said, almost casually, as if Peter had just walked into the lab. As if Peter wasn’t currently aiming a gun directly at him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Mr. Stark,” Peter called out, his voice finally his own. He almost wished Sandhurst wasn’t letting him speak, because the second he realized he could, he wasn’t able to stop himself. “I’m sorry, Mr. Stark. I don’t want to hurt you, I’m so sorry. I don’t want to hurt you. Please stop me, Mr. Stark, please. I can’t stop myself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know you don’t, kiddo. You just need to try and break free of his control, okay? I know you can do it. You’re a lot stronger then Sandhurst is, just try to push him out. I promise you, it’ll be okay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stark,” Sandhurst said in a whiny tone, “enough of his bullshit power of love you're trying to pull. This is science and nothing beats science.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As soon as Sandhurst finished speaking, several things happened all at once.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mr. Stark shot off his repulsor, aimed at the gun in Peter’s hand. Peter was able to pull the trigger, but it didn't matter. Mr. Stark had the rest of his armor up and had already moved out of the way. The repulsor grazed Peter’s hand, it caused him to drop the gun. It hit the ground with a loud thud sound. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter suddenly moved forward like he had done before, hurtling his body into Mr. Stark. This time it seemed he was ready for him and grabbed Peter’s middle right as they connected. Mr. Stark took their momentum and instead of falling backward, he lifted from the ground and surged forward carrying Peter along with him. The building they were in wasn’t very big, there wasn’t a lot of height, Mr. Stark moved up but stopped before hitting the ceiling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I got you,” he said as Peter tried to get himself out of his grip. He shot out two webs above them, both connecting with the ceiling. He pulled up, breaking away from Mr. Stark’s grip and kicking his legs forward, connecting with the very top of the suit’s chest plate. He didn’t have enough swing to hit hard, but Mr. Stark wasn’t moving very fast either and it was enough to send him backward. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter dropped down to the ground, Mr. Stark landed in front of him as well and they stood, staring at each other. Mr. Stark hadn’t brought up his face mask, so Peter could see the look in his eyes. He didn’t look scared, not that Peter thought he would.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Without hesitation, Peter moved forward and went on the offensive, attempting to punch him but Mr. Stark was able to block it. Peter wasn’t very good with hand to hand, it wasn’t something he ever trained in. It was clear that Sandhurst couldn’t make Peter do anything he wasn’t already capable of, but just because he wasn’t good at combat, didn’t mean he couldn’t do damage. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His fists connected with the shoulder of the Iron Man armor, the force was hard enough to send Mr. Stark backward a little. Peter took advantage of his stumble and shot out a web to cover the end of his hand, effectively covering over the repulsor there. The repulsor went off and Peter’s webs were incinerated by the blast. Peter shot two webs up and took a running leap, swinging himself up and around, once again slamming his feet into the front of the Iron Man chest plate. This time he had more than enough power to knock Mr. Stark down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As he tried to get up, he shot off more repulsor blasts towards him, Peter dodged each of them with ease. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t want to hurt you!” He heard Mr. Stark shouting, Peter knew he was trying not to but Peter needed him to. He wasn’t using his lethal blasts, they wouldn’t do much harm even if they hit Peter, but he still moved out of the way.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter stalked back toward Mr. Stark as he attempted to get up and shot a series of webs at his arms, trying to stick him to the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mr. Stark,” Peter said out loud, his voice finding its way back out, Sandhurst must want this to hurt. “Please stop me,” he begged. “Knock me out, please. Do something, I don’t want to hurt you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not going to hurt you,” Mr. Stark said with such sincerity, it was like a punch in the gut. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He wasn't going to fight Peter back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter was going to kill him if Mr. Stark didn’t do anything to stop him. Would Sandhurst just let him kill Tony Stark now? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m going to kill you,” Peter shouted at him, voice louder than he intended it to be. “You have to fight back. Please fight back!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mr. Stark held his arm up, the suit now formed a sharp blade that jutted out underneath his wrist. He was able to slice through Peter’s webbing, sending another repulsor blast to finish disintegrating what was still covering the gauntlets. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Two quick blasts in succession managed to hit Peter, both on his right let. He wobbled for a second, he could feel the burning pain on his leg, but it wasn’t enough to knock him down. It seemed that no amount of pain was going to stop him, Sandhurst could push him to fight. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mr. Stark was up again, on his feet and moving towards Peter. He still had his blades out and he began to swing it at him. Peter dodged as much as he could, but at one point the blade caught Peter’s shoulder, stabbing into it and he let out a cry of surprise and stumbled off balance. Mr. Stark grabbed onto Peter’s wrist as he tried to balance himself and crushed the web shooter on his wrist. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry kid,” Mr. Stark said, as Peter pulled his wrist away, just as Mr. Stark swung up the blade once more, which barely missed striking him again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His tactic seemed to be trying to keep Peter busy and moving. He was barely giving Peter time to recover after each swing or attack. It was working, even with his spider-sense, he still couldn’t keep up with the constant attacks. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mr. Stark swung the blade at him again and this time instead of moving out of the way, he grabbed it with both of his hands. The sharp edge cut through the suit and into the palm of his hand, but he didn’t let go. With both hands, he broke off the sharp edge of the blade and grabbed onto Mr. Stark’s wrist and forearm. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He yanked hard on the arm and there was a sickening popping sound and Mr. Stark’s arm went limp in his hands. He must have torn the shoulder from the socket. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>With Mr. Stark’s limp arm still clutched in his hand, he tried to bring him down. Without the use of his arm, Mr. Stark didn’t have any leverage to pull away. He tried to use his blasters to fly up, but Peter’s pull on his arm was too strong and he only hovered a mere few inches above the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mr. Stark let out a strangled shout as he tried to pull himself up and out of Peter’s grip. The armor that covered his arm was starting to dent and give under Peter’s grip.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a loud grunt, Peter pulled down as hard as he could, it was enough to overcome the repulsors and Mr. Stark came crashing back down, landing on his backside. Peter let go of his arm and stood over him. The man seemed winded, his eyes were closed for a moment but then he opened them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter’s spider-sense screamed at him and he quickly shot down Mr. Stark’s other bladed arm, sticking it to the ground. He lifted his leg and placed his foot on the center chest plate and began to push down. The armor began to yield under the pressure, a crunching sound filling the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was dimly aware of Sandhurst standing a lot closer. He could once again feel the man’s anger and hatred for Tony Stark. It coursed through his veins, it made Peter feel like his body was on fire.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He dropped down to straddle Mr. Stark’s chest again. Peter wasted no time, he hit him hard in the face and the Iron Man mask came up and over his face before his next punch. It didn’t matter, Peter continued punching into the mask, fists slamming into the side of his head over and over.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He stopped punching only to curl his fingers around the armor at Mr. Stark’s neck and started ripping it off of him, tearing as much of it away as he could. He flung bits of armor, metal flying through the air. He punched at the face mask again and again until it started to dent and Peter was able to rip off the rest of the Iron Man mask, leaving Mr. Stark’s face visible underneath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He punched him again, harder than before there was an audible sound of bones breaking each time he landed one. Peter was screaming on the inside, trying everything he could to pull back, not to use all of his strength, but it wasn’t working. Mr. Stark lay nearly motionless below him, his face covered in blood. He had long since stopped trying to get Peter off of him, instead, he was barely even trying to fight back anymore.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a loud laugh that filled the room, coming from somewhere behind Peter. He knew how much Sandhurst was enjoying this, he could feel that too. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter stopped punching and for a moment he wondered if he had somehow managed to stop himself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But then he heard Sandhurst’s voice from behind him. “Good job. I think you’ve taught the great Tony Stark a valuable lesson tonight.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mr. Stark was breathing heavily below him, his eyes closed and face a bloody mess. Peter could still hear his heartbeat, it wasn’t steady but an erratic tempo that worried Peter a lot more than his appearance did. He scrambled off his mentor and stood silently by the body.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sandhurst sauntered over as if to marvel at what he’d accomplished, as to look at what he made Peter do. Peter felt the man’s hand land on his shoulder as he looked over Mr. Stark’s body. Sandhurst gave Mr. Stark’s side a swift kick against the armor that was still there. It didn’t do anything Sandhurst looked like it hurt him even more than could have possibly hurt Mr. Stark.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pick him up,” Sandhurst said, he started to walk over to a large machine that was off to the side of the room. “Bring him over here and place him on the table.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter picked up Mr. Stark and carried him over in a fireman’s carry to the awaiting table. He placed Mr. Stark up there and without a verbal command from Sandhurst, started to tie down Mr. Stark to the table, using restraints that were already in place. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As he did so, he watched as Sandhurst moved over a series of tables and then finally, a large machine. Peter recognized it immediately. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"ROSA?” He questioned out loud, surprised he could talk but then again, Sandhurst seemed to enjoy answering Peter’s questions, if only to be able to brag about what he’d done. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sandhurst didn’t look away from what he was doing but let out a laugh. “Ah, yes, I forgot that Spider-man attempted to stop the original robbery. I didn’t know it was you back then, or I would have had you lend me a hand.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Those robbers, they were under your control?” Peter asked, but he already knew the answer. “Why did you make them stop fighting and just drop to the ground like that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sandhurst let out another loud sigh as if Peter’s questions were just too annoying. He fiddled with another machine that was close to the ROSA one. He flipped two switches and stood back as the machines came to life.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because, when I realized they weren’t going to be able to get past you, I had no use for them anymore.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They weren’t very good at fighting,” Peter continued. “They could barely move. Seems like your control over them wasn’t very strong.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Distance,” Sandhurst countered. “My control is sharper and stronger the closer I am to someone. I wasn’t expecting a nosey spider to get in my way. That’s different now, with the helmet it doesn’t matter the distance between myself and the control disc.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sandhurst continued to get the device ready. Peter tried to think of something else to ask before Sandhurst had enough of him and cut him off. Peter wanted to distract the man as much as he could. He needed to think of a way out of this.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What does that machine do?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sandhurst looked away for the first time and gave Peter an exasperated look. Maybe he was starting to get sick of explaining things to Peter after all. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It assists me in putting in my control discs.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How?” Peter asked. “I mean that’s a pretty impressive machine you got there. I’m curious to know how you make it work for you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sandhurst smiled at the minor praise Peter delivered to him and answered with a much easier going tone. “I create a map using electrodes and when I enter it into the ROSA machine, it creates a sort of GPS. With it, I can view a model of anyone’s brains and easily locate where my control discs can go. I’m able to implement a course into the machine and use its robotics to place the control disc in without having to open up someone’s head.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that what you used on me?” Peter questioned. It dawned on him that Sandhurst had implemented control discs before he had one of those machines. He wondered how Sandhurst managed to do it without something so high tech. All those rumors of Sandhurst’s unethical practices might have been true after all. He doubted anyone just agreed to have one of his discs put into him and he highly doubted he was doing it at a hospital. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, of course. Before I had the ROSA machine, I had to make a much bigger cut into a person’s skull. Things could get very messy and people tended to notice what I had done. That’s the beauty behind the ROSA machine, I can have the control disc implemented with surgical precision without the person even knowing it happened. You were asleep the entire time and when you awoke you were none the wiser.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s your grand plan then? Huh? Walk around with one of those machines and put a control disc in everyone? Seems kinda unrealistic if you ask me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sandhurst grunted. “That would be highly impractical. With Stark under my control, I will force him to create something easier to use. He has all sorts of scanning technology that’s far beyond what the medical field has. He’s just been selfishly hoarding all of it for his fame and glory.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sounds like you needed both Mr. Stark and me to complete all your evil plans, didn't it? I thought you were supposed to be a genius.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am a genius,” Sandhurst shouted, loudly. Peter could feel the hate coming off of him, feel the jealousy and anger he had. “Stark just keeps all of his research to himself because he knows others will easily surpass him if they had the chance.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure,” Peter said conversationally, “sounds legit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sandhurst stopped what he was doing and finally looked up to glare at Peter. “I don’t know what you think you’re doing Parker, but have you forgotten your place? Running your mouth will do nothing to save you or your dear sweet mentor.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was right, Peter knew. It was now or never to come up with a plan to get Sandhurst out of his head. He kept his mouth shut as Sandhurst started to move around equipment, allowing Peter to just stand on the other side of the table. Peter knew he was going to stay there, Sandhurst wanted him to see what he was going to do for maximum emotional pain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He watched as Sandhurst started to plug in electrodes into a different device. Peter wasn’t an expert on medical devices, but what he did understand was electricity. If he was looking for a way to override the circuits in Sandhurst’s helmet, then electrocuting himself would do the deal, wouldn’t it? He would survive it, he knew he would. His body handled a lot worse and it wouldn’t have to be a very strong electrical shock.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter’s eye darted from the electrodes Sandhurst was placing into Mr. Stark’s head, back to the device. He had to move at the right time, he had to push himself. If he grabbed onto Mr. Stark as soon as Sandhurst sent the electrical shock, he would get one too. He was almost certain it wouldn’t hurt Mr. Stark in the process either. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>If it worked, it worked. If it didn’t… well, then Peter would have to come up with a Plan B. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>If he had any chance of moving his entire hand, he had to start somewhere small. He took a few deep breaths and tried to move one of his fingers. He put all the force he could into it, pushed every ounce of strength he had, and then, to his great relief, his finger tapped against the side of his leg.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter was glad he couldn’t move his face because his smile would have given everything away. It wasn’t his whole hand, but now that he moved one finger, he had the drive to move another. One by one, he tapped each of his fingers against his side, he did it once, twice, and then a third time. He had to hold down the giddy laughter that was bubbling up inside of him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was stronger then Sandhurst said he was and he was going to save Mr. Stark and himself too. He wasn't going to let Sandhurst control him anymore, wasn't going to just go along with his plans.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He watched as Sandhurst finished placing the last electrode. He moved his hand forward, ever so slightly. He was already close enough to the table, he didn’t have to reach very far. He kept his eyes firmly on Sandhurst’s hand as it moved towards the machine.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sandhurst’s unwavering belief that he had Peter completely under his control worked to his disadvantage, he didn’t even spare a glance at Peter even after he moved his hand to the edge of the table.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Sandhurst flipped on the smaller machine, Peter lifted his hand and placed it on the side of Mr. Stark’s head. The second his fingertips touched him, Peter felt the shock of electricity surge into him. It was like nothing he’d ever felt before in his life, his whole body was tingling. The shock was so sudden and intense, it felt like someone had dropped his entire body in an ice bath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then his head exploded with pain. It was worse than the elevator. His eyes shut at some point and he tried to open them, but nothing was working yet. He didn’t think of this earlier, what he would do after he electrocuted himself. He tried to find a way to pull his hands off of Mr. Stark, but he realized he didn’t even know if he was still holding on. He couldn’t feel anything besides sharp, hot pain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It took several seconds before he realized he could hear something. It sounded like screaming, but Peter couldn’t tell if it was him or someone else.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then the pain stopped, but the sound of screaming continued until Peter couldn’t hear anything at all.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The Spidey &amp; Iron Man fight is mostly inspired by The Amazing Spider-Man, Who Am I, Infinite Digital Comic #3. Especially Peter ripping off his armor with his bare hands. </p><p>I am firmly on Team Spider-man in a battle against Iron Man. Spidey’s faster and stronger, Tony’s got weapons but as soon as he’s out of the suit, he’s nothing compared to the power Peter’s got, who doesn't even need a suit for his powers. I mean, I know some will argue Iron Man would never let him get the upper hand, but Spidey is always going to be faster! Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk, feel free to argue with me in the comments. ;D</p><p>I also borrowed a bit from Iron Man #21 The Controller Lives, where Sandhurst has Iron Man make him a helmet and Tony leaves in a fatal flaw which allows him to defeat Sandhurst. That one involved energy mind lasers and if I was really feeling extra, I would have defiantly included lasers but that would have involved more science, and meh.</p><p>Finally, while I don't post too often, I am on tumblr @asyouleft and I always follow people back. :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>And now we’ve reached our conclusion, which just so happens to be the longest chapter at all! What can I say? I like a good resolution. :)</p><p>I hope everyone enjoys the ending and is somewhat satisfied with the outcome! Some long spoilery A/N are at the end of the story. :D</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Peter found himself floating, somewhere between aware and unaware. The pain had subsided just enough, but his head wasn’t very clear. He could tell that Sandhurst was gone from his mind, he was in complete control of himself. He could feel his entire body and more importantly, he could feel himself moving on his own accord. If he could have, he would have cried out in relief. Instead, he opened his eyes and tried to look around him. He knew he was moving, he could feel hands on him, one on his shoulder and another one wrapped around his wrist.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hang in there, Pete,” he heard Mr. Stark say somewhere above him. “We’re getting you to the Compound.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter tried to nod his head, the movement made him feel sick. “Tony,” he croaked, he tried to find where he was. He needed to make sure he was okay, make sure he hadn’t done too much damage to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, hey, it’s okay, I’m right here,” Tony came into view briefly, his face a mess of blue, black, and red, out of focus in front of Peter. “We’re both okay.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter nodded his head. “You did so well,” Tony started to say. “I mean, I’d rather you didn’t electrocute yourself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sandhurst?” He asked, while he knew the guy was out of his head, he had to make sure he wasn’t around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We got ‘um. He’s out cold, Pete. You were able to knock the guy on his smug ass. He’s in custody right now, him and that stupid helmet of his.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you okay?” Peter let out quietly, everything was happening so fast and he could barely stay awake. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, kid. I’m fine, I promise,” he chuckled for a second. “Are you okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter blinked, staring up at his mentor. “Yeah.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good, just try to keep relaxed for us okay? You can rest, close your eyes, and sleep. You’re safe now.”    </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He nodded and then drifted back off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>+</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It turned out, having brain surgery wasn’t all that difficult. Vision was able to pinpoint where the disc was and they used a very small device to, well, suck it out. Peter was out for it, thankfully, but he was up a few hours later. He managed to electrocute himself, but thankfully the damage wasn’t too horrible. He’d take burns over being mind-controlled any day. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The doctors at the Compound ran him through several brain tests, just to make sure he didn’t lose any brain function and he was able to pass all of them. Aside from a lingering headache, he was mostly okay. His injuries were healing quickly on their own and the doctors allowed him to leave the medbay after three days but they insisted he stay at the Compound for a few more days. They wanted to monitor him, make sure nothing Sandhurst did had any lasting impact.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They lead him to his room at the Compound, the one Mr. Stark had offered him, all those months ago. He’d never even been in it before and he was amazed at how much effort Mr. Stark seemed to have put into it. There were a few posters on the walls, a dresser full of Avengers themed clothing items and an Iron Man themed bedspread, seeing it made something in his stomach drop.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mr. Stark had tried to visit him in the medbay room, but Peter refused him. He was still feeling so raw and emotional from the whole experience. He couldn’t tell how he felt about Mr. Stark, if he was all that mad at him or if it had been Sandhurst pushing him all along. He also didn’t think he could even look at him, knowing how much he had physically hurt him. He knew, however, he couldn’t keep Mr. Stark away for long. He wanted Peter to tell him about what happened, they needed to know exactly what Sandhurst had done. Peter would have to face him and the truth, eventually.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Until then, the only person Peter agreed to see was May. Even when she came in, he couldn’t hide his face flushing red and he tried to keep away from her looking her in the eyes. He hadn’t physically hurt her, but he remembered how he treated her before.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had seen her in the medbay, she was there waiting when he woke up but they didn’t talk about anything then. He was too tired, too hurt to even want to explain himself. It wasn’t until he was back in his room, he knew she’d want to talk about what happened. He was grateful that Mr. Stark allowed her to stay in one of the spare rooms while Peter was there. He didn’t think he could handle not having her around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had only been settled in his room for a few minutes when she came to the door. “Hi, baby,” she said softly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter tried to smile at her as he sat on his bed, but he knew it was a poor excuse for one. She walked over and sat on the edge of his bed. “It’s okay, Pete.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was almost as if he’d finally been permitted freak out because that’s exactly what he did. He launched himself towards her, clinging onto her almost a little too tightly. She held onto him, wrapping her arms around him the best she could. They were at a very awkward angle, but Peter didn’t care, he needed this. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry I was so mean to you and made you worry so much May,” he said into her shoulder. She rubbed little circles into his back like she did when he was a kid. They stayed like that for a few minutes before Peter pulled away. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He leaned back against the wall and she followed, so they were sitting side by side, legs stretched out on the bed. He leaned down and laid his head onto her shoulder. The height difference was a little awkward, it was much easier for them to do this when he was a lot younger. But May didn’t seem to mind, instead, she adjusted herself into a more comfortable position, all while allowing Peter to use her as a pillow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Talk to me. I know some of what happened, but I’d like to hear it from you if you can.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter took a deep breath and told her what had happened. He explained about Sandhurst’s control, what he had told Peter, how mad Peter was at everyone, how he lashed out at Flash, those robbers, even his friends. He found the whole thing a lot harder to talk about then he expected, the words getting caught in his throat every once in a while. May was patient with him, didn’t push when he stuttered and didn’t interrupt. She had grabbed his hand when he started talking about what happened with Mr. Stark, how he fought him and didn’t let go even when he finished.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>By the time he finished, he felt exhausted. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t want to hurt anyone,” he said in a small voice after he’d finished the whole story. “It’s all my fault that any of this had to happen in the first place.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh sweetheart, you aren’t to blame you. It sounds like Sandhurst jerk took advantage of you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But it is my fault,” he whispered. “I knew what I was saying to everyone. I was the one who was angry and upset, I was the one who didn’t listen to anyone. None of what I said or did was him doing anything. I was the one who refused help from anyone. If I wasn’t so weak, if I didn’t let stupid things bother me so much, this wouldn’t have happened.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Peter, listen to me, honestly listen up because what I'm about to say is important. You’re always allowed to be upset and angry with people. You’re human, Peter and that’s a normal thing and it is not a weakness. Your feelings are always valid, even if they aren’t what you normally feel. You were being manipulated, I should have seen what was happening to you and that’s my fault.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You aren’t to blame,” he replied, “you guys were just trying to help me and protect me. I’m the one who freaked out over everything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, we all get to share the blame here. And you were right, we do sometimes treat you with kid gloves and we can’t always do that. But you’re my kid Peter, I’m always going to want to protect you and want what’s best for you. You might be out there helping people as Spider-man, but it’s my job to keep Peter Parker safe and sound. Parents don’t always make the best decision sometimes when you’re worried about someone your judgment can get clouded.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have all these powers, May. All I want to do is protect you and everyone else. That’s my job, to make sure nothing bad happens, ever again and all I feel like I did was hurt everyone around me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What Peter didn’t say was heavily implied in the room. That he already failed once, with not saving Ben’s life. May knew what happened, eventually, she found out he had powers back then too, but she never, not once, acted as if Peter didn’t do enough. Even so, Peter knew he would never stop blaming himself for not doing enough. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, Pete, hunny. You do protect us but it’s okay for you to mess up sometimes and need someone to save you. It’s okay that you were upset and overwhelmed, it’s okay that you might have done some yelling too. I’m sorry to break it to you, but you’re not perfect, no one is. I know that you are capable of handling things, of taking care of yourself in some situations. It’s just so hard to find a balance for this, seeing you as Spider-man I know you can do so many amazing things. And then I see you, my little guy, who's been through so much in his life and I just want to put you in a bubble and hide you away from the world.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I want to do good,” Peter said softly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You do good, Peter. You do so much good in this world and you always will. Don’t let what happened to you make you second guess yourself. You were hurt and hurt people, hurt people.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“MJ said the same thing to me when we were arguing,” he said softly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Michelle is a very wise girl,” May said smiling at him. “Speaking of your friends, they really want to see you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know,” he started looking back down at his lap. “I’m just, I feel embarrassed. I was an asshole and I said some really mean things to them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And they know it wasn’t entirely on you. They’ve been calling and texting nonstop since we found you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She let go of his hand and sat up to lean over the bed. She grabbed the purse she’d dropped to the floor and rummaged until she found his phone and handed it to him. “Start here, okay? Text them back, talk a little and then when you’re ready, have them come visit you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He took his phone from her. “Thanks,” he said softly as he tried to fight back a yawn.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m going to get us something to drink, while you talk to your friends.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She leaned over and kissed him on the forehead before walking out of the room. Peter stared at his phone and after a minute, opened his group chat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He typed out a message and then erased it, typed another one, erased that one, and then finally settled on something.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He hovered his fingers over the send button. Deep down inside, he knew Ned and MJ would forgive him, they were his best friends after all. He still had to deal with the embarrassment of what he’d done to them and on top of that, he didn’t want pity from them. That’s what had started the whole thing, people feeling sorry for him and he didn’t want to be content with those feelings anymore.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a moment he pressed send. He waited nervously for their replies, tossing the phone between his hands. His text message alert went off twice in quick succession and he opened the text, resisting the urge to look between his fingers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When he did read it, he could only smile and wonder why he was so nervous in the first place. May was right like she always was.</span>
</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    
  </p>
</div><div class="center"></div><p>
  <span>+</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mr. Stark had insisted that he talk to Peter the next day. He still really wasn’t keen on the idea, but he knew the conversation had to happen sooner rather than later. He couldn’t help but think of what Sandhurst had said to him, that his need for Mr. Stark’s approval is what led him down the path, what led him into Sandhurst’s waiting control. Did he really need Mr. Stark’s attention that much? Was he that pathetic? He was having a hard time trying to figure out what he really felt about it. With May and even his friends, it was different. He wasn’t really mad at them, his anger grew out of what started with Mr. Stark. He was mad at him before he even took one step into Sandhurst’s lab.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn’t need the man in his head to remember every word he said, every feeling he felt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter was on his phone when Mr. Stark walked straight into the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you know how to knock?” Peter asked, trying to keep the tone in the room light. He realized quickly that it came out a lot harsher then he intended it to. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I own this building, I don’t knock,” he said dryly. “Are you finally ready to talk to me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter shrugged his shoulders. “I guess.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mr. Stark sat at the desk a few feet from the bed Peter occupied. He started by asking him to fill in the gaps in their knowledge of the events. Peter told the whole story, even more, detailed then what he told May. He explained what Sandhurst had done, how he’d done it, and why he targeted Peter. He tried to keep as much of his personal feelings out of it, he wanted to tell Mr. Stark just the facts. He tried not to make up excuses for what happened instead he just laid out the whole ordeal.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When he was finished, he felt like he talked himself hoarse. Mr. Stark hadn’t said much while he talked, a few questions here and there but nothing major. He waited a second before standing up and walking to sit on Peter’s bed. Peter stilled, his body going tense at the action. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pete,” he started and Peter braced himself for whatever anger Mr. Stark might have with him. “I’m really proud of you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Peter questioned. “Why? I didn’t do anything.” He looked away, unable to look Mr. Stark in the eyes, not yet and not now. He still had some bruising on his face and neck, bruises that Peter had put there. The sight made his stomach turn, the evidence of what he had done was so plain to see.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, you did. You figured out what Sandhurst was doing and you figured out the way to stop him, all while being under his control. I mean I would have liked it better if you didn’t have to hurt yourself in the process but you got the job one.” He paused and then leaned forward a little more. “Look at me, Pete.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter finally looked up and locked eyes with Mr. Stark. “You are the strongest person I know. You've been through a lot of shit in your life and you never let that show. You got superpowers as a fourteen year old and you decided to go out there and help people. That’s the real strength. The other stuff? That was Sandhurst manipulating you. If anything I’m to blame for not realizing how much that limelight stuff was bothering you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s just the thing, Mr. Stark. I was mad at you about everything. I told you, Sandhurst said all of those things I was feeling was real and he’s right. You ignored me, you just stopped talking to me like I was nothing. You just paraded me around as your son but never treated me like that. You didn’t care about how I felt, you just kept making everything about you and only you. I don’t know how I feel about you right now, I don’t know if this is my anger or if this is Sandhurst and I don’t like that. I don’t like looking at you and knowing I hurt you, that I punched you, I choked you. I don’t like looking at you and knowing how badly I wanted your attention and your approval. There’s no way I can look at you without a million thoughts in my mind and I don’t know how to deal with any of them right now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mr. Stark was silent for a moment. “I understand, kid. I know this must be hard, but believe me, I wasn’t trying to push you away. Things got busy and I let things just slip by. I’m not cut out for this shit, Pete. My Dad didn’t put any effort into being a Dad and I thought I was doing you a favor by not sticking my nose in too much. I wanted to find a good balance. And after the press release and all that, I just wanted everyone to know what a smart kid you were. You’re right, I wasn’t thinking about what you wanted. I grew up in the spotlight, it’s something I’m used to and I assumed you’d be okay with it all. I take full responsibility for that one, 100% my fault.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter stared at his mentor sitting in front of him. The man he idolized most of his life. The only thing he could think to say was what he probably should have said months ago before any of this got as bad as it did. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why couldn’t you just talk to me?” Peter asked, he could hear his voice cracking and he hated it. “That’s all you had to do Mr. Stark. I don’t care about meeting the Avengers, or always going to the lab. All I wanted was for you to talk to me. Text me, call me, something that wasn’t just to tell me that you had to cancel or something about Spider-man.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re right. I didn’t do any of that, I didn’t communicate with you the right way,” Mr. Stark said, “I accept all responsibility for it. I should have done better, you’re right. I put you in a bad spot and didn’t do anything to fix it. I had good intentions, kid, I swear.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter knew he was being sincere, he could hear it in his voice, but it wasn’t enough, at least not right now. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter looked back down to his hands, the same hands that were once wrapped around Mr. Stark’s neck only days ago. “I was just so upset with you, Mr. Stark, and looked at what happened because of it. Sandhurst was able to take me down all because I was mad you didn’t spend time with me. I don’t like knowing it was that easy to take control of me. What if I hurt someone worse? What if I killed someone?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But you didn’t, you didn’t kill anyone,” Mr. Stark said pleadingly. “I know that’s scary, knowing how much you could have hurt someone, but you fought it. You were fighting it, I could tell. You can’t get too stuck up in the what-ifs, Pete. It’ll drive you crazy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter closed his eyes and let out a long breath. This conversation needed to happen, they needed to talk about these things. Leaving it bottled up inside, that was how this whole thing started. There were so many questions and thoughts bouncing around his mind, so many things that could have happened, that did happen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can I ask you something?” Peter asked him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mr. Stark nodded. “Yeah, anything. Full disclosure on stuff from here out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sandhurst said you never saw the kidnapping videos. Is that true?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, kid. I didn’t get any type of video, it was a phone call and a proof of life picture. And it wasn’t that I didn’t want to give them money, I would have handed over my entire bank account to get you back, but that’s not how things work. We had to find you, there was a chance those guys wouldn’t have handed you over. When I said I couldn’t risk it, I meant you, Pete, I meant that I couldn’t risk something happening to you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They made me beg you to save me, over and over. Sandhurst said they wanted to humiliate me and I let them. I begged for you to save me and I was so, so angry that you didn’t show up. I thought you didn’t care, I thought I was worthless to you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shit, Pete. I wish I would have known that, why didn’t you say anything before? I would have told you what happened. I thought you were just disappointed we didn’t find you before you got out. That conversation we had, makes a lot more sense now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was mad at you already. You were talking to the press about me but you weren't bothering to invite me up to the lab, remember? I just figured you really didn’t care anymore. I didn’t want to deal with it, I just wanted to be angry at you, it was just easier.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I care about you, Peter. I wasn’t inviting you up because I thought you didn’t want to be up there anymore. You looked miserable half the time, you wouldn’t even talk to me anymore. I know that’s stupid, but I thought I was doing what was best for you. Trust me, Pete, I hate how I acted too. I didn’t see what that asshole was doing to you and that’s always going to be on me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why did you brick my suit on me?” Peter asked, he didn’t say it in the same angry tone he had before and he hoped Mr. Stark knew he didn’t want to fight. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was scared. You usually don’t react so violently to people. You have to understand something, Pete. From our perspective, you went from 0 to 100 in a second. May and I knew you were upset about something but we didn’t think you were so mad. Yeah, you were a little cranky sometimes, but that stuff came out of nowhere to us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You were scared I’d hurt someone?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, a little. I was more scared that you’d put yourself into danger. I was scared you’d become reckless. I was scared that you’d really hurt someone and would regret it. There were a lot of reasons behind it, I didn’t do it on a whim. It wasn’t an easy decision. I just needed you to talk to someone and tell them what was happening with you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter nodded slightly, now on the other side of things, he could understand Mr. Stark’s feelings on everything. He hadn’t realized what everyone else was seeing when they saw him. Mr. Stark was right, wasn't he? What if Peter had hurt someone without wanting to? Sandhurst was more than willing to make Peter kill Mr. Stark, he doubted the man would have cared about collateral damage.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can we take a break?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“From?” Mr. Stark asked him, a confused look on his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All this,” he gestured vaguely around. “The lab and internship stuff, just for a little bit. I just want to, not worry about it. I don’t know if I forgive you yet, I don’t know how I feel right now. I just know that if I keep sitting here and thinking about it, it’s just going to get worse.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, of course. You can take all the time that you feel you need. Just let me know, whenever you’re ready. You can keep your suit too, I’m doing some repairs and it’ll be back online for you to use.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know,” Peter said honestly. “I don’t know how I’m going to get back into that suit knowing what I’ve done.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You will, kid. Don’t let that slimy asshole change who you are, don’t let him win,” Mr. Stark said and then he stood up. “You’re a great kid, Pete. Nothing you said or did changes that fact, okay? Whenever you’re ready the Nano Lab and mine are open to you. The ball’s completely in your court.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks,” Peter said softly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And,” Mr. Stark started hesitantly. “I think you should consider talking to one of the therapists we have here at the Compound. It doesn’t have to be right away but I’ll send May the information.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter nodded. “Yeah, thanks.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mr. Stark gave him one more glance, one that held more affection than Peter had ever seen from him, before leaving Peter alone in his room once more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>+</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Going home didn’t make Peter feel any better. Physically he was fine, the bruises and marks from his fight with Iron Man were all gone. He was nervous about seeing his friends, he spent all morning jittery again, his nerves getting the best of him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>May caught him walking back and forth across the ceiling of his bedroom and all but dragged him down and to the couch. She plopped a bowl of rocky road ice cream in his hands, sat down next to him, and turned on the TV.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Relax,” she said after a minute of scrolling through what was on TV, “you need to just breathe for a bit. Don’t think about anything, eat your ice cream for lunch, and enjoy mindless television.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She ended up on a random reality TV show they watched every once in a while. He looked down at the bowl in his hands before leaning a little closer to May, resting himself against her side. “Thanks.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course,” she leaned over and kissed the top of his head. “You know Tony sent me the information about a therapist for you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Peter said as he shoved ice cream into his mouth, maybe a little too enthusiastically. “He mentioned it. I mean, I’m okay with it but uh, I know those cost a lot of money..”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No amount of money is too much for you, Peter and you know that. In any case, Tony’s offered to pay for it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter wasn’t surprised, Mr. Stark had offered to pay for a few things from time to time. Peter always said no, because he didn’t need it. He could tell from the look on May’s face that maybe this time was one of those times, you accept help from someone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you okay with Mr. Stark paying for it?” Peter asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I am because I know this will be helpful for you and your mental health comes before my stubborn pride any day. Are you okay with going to someone at the Compound? We can look elsewhere, but honestly, finding someone who has experience with superhero problems might not be easy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m cool with it,” Peter offered and he genuinely was cool with it. He’d seen a therapist in the past after his parents died and he didn’t mind it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good,” May answered. “I don’t want you to ever think for one second that you can’t talk to me about any of this, what happened with Sandhurst or any other superhero thing. I know you don’t want to worry me, but that’s going to happen no matter what. Even if you think I won’t understand it, if you just need to talk, I will always listen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, May. I love you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Love you too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>+</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Ned and MJ came over after school, they brought with them a backlog of Peter’s homework. He didn’t know the story that was told to his school about his absence. He was sure they put together something to make it seem like he was just sick or something. May had ordered pizza and chicken wings, the food was spread out across the living room table, as the trio sat together on the couch, Peter in the middle. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Things weren’t as awkward as they could have been, neither of them really said anything about what had happened. They both acted completely normal like they hadn’t even had any kind of fight. All he wanted to do was apologize, but anytime he tried to say something, the words would get caught up somewhere in his throat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Peter!” Ned waved his hands in front of his face and Peter blinked himself out of his thoughts. He’d been getting lost in his head so much lately, it was like he was trying to reclaim all of the space Sandhurst had used.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry,” he said quickly. “What’d you say?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I asked when you’re coming back to school?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter shrugged. “Tomorrow, I think. May said it was alright.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You should wait longer, take your time,” MJ answered over the top of the book she’d brought with her. Peter knew she was listening to them and reading, it was a skill she had successfully managed. “We don’t need you or anything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Speak for yourself,” Ned said rolling his eyes, “I need my best friend to talk to. Anytime I bring up anything remotely geeky, you just roll your eyes at me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>MJ rolled her eyes dramatically. “Whatever.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Something about the way they both just talked to him, was starting to calm him down just a little. He had never realized how much his friends brought to the table when it came to dealing with all of his nonsense. Even when he was being a jerk to them, they always tried to help him. Both of them always seem to keep a level head when it came to himself like they knew if they panicked, it would just make Peter feel all that worse. It must have sucked, the feeling they had when Peter yelled at them. He couldn’t understand how calm and relaxed they were then and even now. They didn’t look remotely mad at Peter, the only nervous tension was coming from him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh,” Peter started nervously, “I want to um, thank you both. For trying to help me when I was all stupid and stuff. You guys could have ignored me but you both didn’t. Thank you, for being good friends. I’m sorry I said some shitty things to you both. It’s no excuse for my behavior or anything. I hope you guys know what I said wasn’t true, I don’t think you guys are weak if anything I’m the weak one for letting Sandhurst influence me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh my god,” MJ said putting down her book, “don’t be so dramatic Peter. You weren’t that much to deal with, you just punched Flash and yelled a lot. I’ve dealt with much worse.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Ned continued. “It was cool that you stood up to Flash. I mean, yeah maybe punching was a little much, but he was asking for it. You were basically Harry Potter in Order of the Phoenix.” He paused. “No really, wait, you were like Harry! You were also being possessed by a bad guy.” He looked at Peter with wide eyes and an even bigger smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>All of the anxiety that was in Peter’s heart lifted a little and he couldn’t help but smile back at Ned. Yeah, it might not be the most sensitive thing he could have said, but it was Ned and Ned loved him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh my god,” MJ said, she dramatically tossed the book down. “You guys are such nerds. Not everything in the entire world needs to be a Harry Potter or Star Wars reference, you know. Other forms of literature exist out there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a lot of fondness in her voice, both Ned and Peter scuffed back at her and she laughed with them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“In case you want to continue your guilt party of one, both of us forgive you, if that wasn’t clear. Flash, on the other hand, might not but that’s cool. He’s far less annoying now that he’s scared of you,” MJ said as she bent down to get her book back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How is Flash doing?” Peter asked, suddenly overwhelmed with the memory of hurting Flash. It wasn’t funny, not really. He could have killed Flash had he not held back his strength. MJ must have sensed something off because she placed a hand on his knee. He looked down at it and then followed up to her face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay Peter, you didn’t really hurt him that badly. He’s fine and Ned’s right, he deserved it for the way he’s always treated you. You know we weren’t mad that you hit him, right? It was everything that was happening. You were acting weird all the time, something was wrong and it just scared us both. We’ve never seen you that angry before, it was just a shock.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He didn’t deserve to get hit, I don’t think anyone does,” Peter answered truthfully. “I don’t want to hurt people like that. Flash might be a bully but he’s never been physical with me before and now I’m the one that escalated it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t have to hold yourself to such high standards, you know that right?” Ned asked him. “You can punch someone for being a jerk every once in a while, it’s not the worst thing you can do.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter shook his head. “But I have, I want to. I could have killed him if I wasn’t so careful. I mean Sandhurst wasn’t making me do anything, I wanted to punch Flash, he was being such an asshole but I shouldn't have lost control. I’m dangerous, I’m dangerous to you guys if I lose it again. You weren’t there, you guys didn’t see what I did to Mr. Stark, how badly I hurt him. How can you both look at me and not see someone who could hurt you if I wanted to?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because you’re my best friend,” Ned said quickly. “Because you’re Peter Parker and Spider-man. Because you’re a good person. Because you could have killed Flash with one punch, but you didn’t. Even with some crazy evil scientist whispering in your ear, you were still a good person.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And because of what you’re doing now,” MJ added. “If you were a bad person you wouldn't care about what you did. You wouldn’t be apologizing and worrying so much. You just wouldn’t care about it. Honestly, if Flash came here right now and started to be a jerk to you, called you names, made fun of you, would you punch him again?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” Peter said truthfully. “I wouldn’t want to punch him again, no matter how big of a jerk he was being.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then there’s your answer,” she said simply as if it solved all of the problems. He opened his mouth to object again but she put up her finger and shushed him. “We trust you, Peter. We always have trusted you and we always will trust you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you just shush me?” Peter asked, amusement in his voice. “In my own house?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Absolutely and I’ll do it again if I have to,” she grinned at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>+</span>
</p><p>
  <span>School the next day was a lot easier than he expected it to be. For one thing, there weren’t any reporters or paparazzi outside the school waiting for him. Mr. Stark had promised him he’d try to stop it and it looked like he managed to do it. Happy still picked him up and Peter was glad to see him driving the car. He dropped Peter off at the front entrance, MJ and Ned were waiting by the front doors.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank, Happy,” Peter said before getting out. “Thank you for always watching out for me. I’m sorry if I was a jerk to you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kid,” he said. “I think you forget who my actual boss is. I’ve survived Tony Stark at his worst and no offense, I can handle a cranky teenager.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter gave him another smile before heading out of the car. For the first time in months, his walk into school was nothing out of the ordinary and he looked forward to going inside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There were still some looks from his classmates but Peter realized that a lot of what he thought was happening - just wasn’t. He was lucky too, they managed to keep what happened to him as Peter Parker out of the press. The only thing they knew was Spider-man and Iron Man was involved with taking down some evil villain guy. They kept out the mind control aspect of it, and Peter hoped it would stay that way.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was ignoring most of the tweets about the incident, something he learned the hard way. He couldn’t let social media take over his life, it just wasn’t worth it. Sandhurst had been right, he became way too obsessed with it. None of those people knew him, they were all just reacting to something. He didn’t need to know what some random person thought about him. Those weren’t important to him and now, without Sandhurst in his mind, he was really starting to understand that. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>At lunch, a group of girls walked over to him as he sat down with Ned and MJ. He recognized one of them as a girl who’d taken his photo in the hallway the week before. She had come over with her friends to apologize for not only taking the picture but for gossiping about him. Peter immediately forgave them, told them not to worry about it and they promised they wouldn’t do it again. He scrolled through Twitter and found their accounts and he followed them with his personal account. He noticed the one had deleted the photo she’d posted, he knew once something was on the internet it never left, but the gesture was there just the same.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He wanted to apologize to Flash, he didn’t know if Flash would accept his apology or not, but it was something he had to do. He didn’t want to corner him, didn’t want Flash to think Peter was going to hurt him again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He decided to wait until after their last period class before catching up to Flash as he made his way down the hallway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” he said when he was alongside him. Flash didn’t look at him, kept his eyes straight ahead. His face was better, all signs of the punch were gone but Peter could still see it in his body language. “Can I talk to you for a second?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Flash didn’t say anything, he just kept walking. “Please?” Peter asked again and was surprised when Flash stopped and turned towards him. Other kids were walking behind them and suddenly everyone had to go around the two of them. “Can we talk in private?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” Flash said as the sea of students moved around the two of them. Maybe Flash was scared Peter would hurt him again if there weren’t many witnesses. Peter really couldn’t blame the guy. He wanted to make sure Flash was comfortable and knew that Peter was being sincere. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry,” Peter said quickly, he kept his eyes locked onto Flash’s. He didn’t know what to expect from the guy. They weren’t friends, not in the least bit. Flash enjoyed picking on Peter, he liked watching him get embarrassed, and liked to make Peter feel bad. But he was also a human and he had never resorted to violence with Peter before. “I shouldn’t have hit you as I did. There’s no excuse for it, but I’m sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter couldn’t read the look on Flash’s face at first. He squinted his eyes at Peter, looking at him suspiciously. After what felt like eons he finally rolled his eyes. “Jesus Parker, here I thought you were finally manning up and now you’re apologizing? No wonder you make your friends fight your battles for you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There wasn’t nearly as much venom in his voice as there usually was and he walked away as soon as he finished, not waiting for Peter to speak again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The next day at lunch, Flash called him Princess Parker as he walked by but instead of getting angry, Peter just laughed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>+</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter was still unsure about going back to the Nano Lab after everything that happened. He wanted to, he missed going and he missed the work he’d been doing. Knowing that Sandhurst had taken his work and turned it into something evil, it really bothered him. He wanted to take what he had back and turn it into something good instead. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had gotten several messages from the other interns, most of them hoping Peter was alright. Before he had left the Compound, Mr. Stark left him a report that had been done by SHIELD. It had an overview of what they were able to figure out about the control discs, as well as Sandhurst’s complete confession. They had taken Sandhurst somewhere, maybe the Raft, maybe not. He was long gone, in any case.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It looked as if Sandhurst stole a lot more than just Peter’s work too, he had borrowed heavily from what the other interns were working on. He felt bad about it, the report also made it clear they intended to keep them in the dark about Sandhurst’s true abilities. They’d never know just how much Sandhurst might have been manipulating them. They’d never find out that the man was stealing their ideas and research for his nefarious purposes. They also didn’t know just how much Peter was involved in the whole thing either, to them he was just taking a break for a little bit. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The only thing they’d be told was Sandhurst was attempting to do some kind of bad thing and that he was taken down by Iron Man and Spider-man.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At the end of the week, he finally got the courage to text Mr. Stark about going back to just the Nano Lab. He felt ready, he’d been talking with the group on chat the last few days and he was starting to miss them a lot more. Things had to be better now, without Sandhurst and his mood looming over them.</span>
</p><p> </p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    
  </p>
</div><p>
  <span>The first day he walked back in, he was greeted with hugs from everyone. Instead of going to his lab table, they marched him down to the cafeteria. They talked for much longer than what was probably allowed, but it didn't matter. When they got back upstairs Peter went back to his work, it was good to take it over again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>+</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Two weeks had gone by and he still hadn’t gone out as Spider-man. His suit was shoved under his bed, hiding from him. The thought had crossed his mind, but every time he went near it his heart rate increased. The memories of hurting people in the suit were too much. He wore the suit to protect people and Sandhurst took that away from him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And yet, at the same time, he yearned to go back out there as Spider-man. He wanted to erase the memories of the last times he was in the suit. He wanted to do good as Spider-man, not bad. He wanted to show Queens who he really was on the inside and not let what he’d done linger with people for too long.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had been sitting in his room, finishing up the last of his homework when May came to the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I noticed you haven’t gone out yet,” she said, eyes flickering over to the window. She hadn’t brought up Spider-man with him yet, he assumed she was waiting for him to say something. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I haven’t really felt like it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She walked over and took a seat on his bed, moving aside a pile of laundry he’d yet to put away. “Is it because of what happened?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” he answered. “I hurt people when I was wearing the suit, May. I hurt those guys and I hurt Mr. Stark too. I can’t stop thinking about it. I know everyone keeps saying it’s okay but I just don’t feel like it is.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sandhurst was manipulating you, Peter.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I still did those things. It’s my name and image that they saw out there, beating those guys up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All the more reason why you should go back out there and show them the real Spider-man. Go save a cat from a tree, take a dog for a walk, clean up litter. The things you do because you want to and you love doing them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Since when did you become all-pro Spider-man?” Peter asked with a grin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>May smiled at him, a real smile that filled Peter’s heart with joy. “I’m a fan of Peter Parker, actually. He’s the best kid around.” She stood up and walked over to him and hugged him in the chair, his head leaning against her stomach. She bent down and kissed the top of his head. “Come on, get in your spandex, and get out there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When he left out the window, May looked at him with a fond smile. He jumped out and took off swinging across Queens in the evening light. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was a slow night, there wasn’t much going on but it didn’t matter much to Peter. He helped an older woman find the keys she dropped in a parking lot, picked up some litter from one of the parks, and walked two girls home from a bar. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was nice, it was good, it was what he needed. And when he got home, he was happy to check his phone for once.</span>
</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    
  </p>
</div><p>
  <span>+</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sunday night he went back out as Spider-man, helped more people, and generally felt his entire mood improve greatly. He was heading home when Mr. Stark’s call came in, it jarred him a little, seeing his name in the corner of his HUD. They hadn’t talked since Peter had sent him the text message. He knew Mr. Stark didn’t want to be pushy, but he was finding himself smiling when his name came up on his screen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He landed on a rooftop and took a deep breath before answering.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hi, Mr. Stark.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, kid. Glad to see you out and about these last two nights. Everything good?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I feel good.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m glad. Listen, I know you said you wanted to take a break, but I was hoping you’d come up to the Compound Friday after school for a team dinner. If you don’t want to, I get it. The whole team will be around and it’s a pretty rare thing nowadays.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter hesitated. “Uh, the whole team, as in the Avengers?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, kid, with the Avengers. Everyone was pretty sad they didn’t get to see you while you stayed here. I think you’ve got an unofficial Spider-man fan club happening.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter felt a sudden rush of panic sweep over him. He had to sit down on the roof and close his eyes to get his head back on straight. He knew he should be excited about this, but all he could think about was, what had happened to him. He felt embarrassed by it, embarrassed he was so easily taken over and embarrassed for what he did to Mr. Stark. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Um, I don’t know if I can do that, Mr. Stark.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course you can,” Mr. Stark said in a ridiculously jolly tone of voice. “I owe you this kid, from all the other times I canceled on you. You deserve a chance to get to meet everyone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They know what happened right?” Peter asked, but he knew the answer, of course, they knew what Peter had done.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, but that doesn’t matter. It’s all in the past. I know you’ll hate this but I already talked to May about it and she thinks it’s a fine idea.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter took a sharp breath and opened his mouth to protest but Mr. Stark caught him off. “I know, I know, you hate that. I wasn’t doing it to piss you off! I just wanted to check in with May to see if she thought it was okay that I ask you. I know we’re on a break, I didn’t want to butt in if she thought you still needed space away. I just wanted her opinion on it, nothing more. She said it was up to you completely and I agree, you can say yes or no.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter was silent, his eyes closed, legs crossed sitting on a random rooftop in Queens. Mr. Stark started when Peter didn’t respond. “Don’t let Basil keep you from this, kid. You deserve this and everyone wants to meet you. If it’s too much, you can bail whenever you want to, I promise.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” Peter said, breathing out slowly. “I can try.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>+</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Happy dropped Peter off at the front entrance of the Compound, where Mr. Stark stood waiting. Since he’d last seen him, he looked a lot better. There weren’t any signs of what Peter had done to him. It made Peter feel marginally better but he was still a bundle of nerves as he made his way into the Compound. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mr. Stark hesitantly put a hand on Peter’s shoulder, almost as if he was worried Peter would run if he touched him. Peter didn’t move away and when Mr. Stark’s hand touched his shoulder, he squeezed it. “It’s good to see you again, kid.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Peter said, his voice breaking ever so slightly. “Yeah, I’m glad to see you too, Mr. Stark.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had meant it too. Time away from Mr. Stark really seemed to help him feel better about what happened. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You ready?” He asked as they made their way towards the communal dining area. Peter hadn’t seen it yet, he didn’t get much of a grand tour of the place when he was staying there. He wanted to avoid seeing as many people as possible then. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not really,” Peter answered truthfully and to his surprise, Mr. Stark stopped walking and turned to face him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you want to just head up to your room, that’s fine too. I can send up some food and then Happy can take you back. I wasn’t lying when I said this was up to you. I’m not going to push you into doing something you find uncomfortable.” Mr. Stark gave him a wide smile. “Open communication,” he announced. “I’m giving it a go.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Something about Mr. Stark’s offer made him feel better. The man seemed to care about how he felt, he wanted Peter to be happy. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, it’s okay. I can do it. But uh, can you sit next to me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mr. Stark smiled a very genuine smile that Peter felt immediately at ease. “Of course, kid. I wasn’t about to share you with anyone, anyway. You’re my spiderkid.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Peter walked into the living room area, everyone was already seated around a large dining room table. There had been a conversation going on, but as soon as he entered, it stopped. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter was doing everything he could not look at anyone directly. He could feel all the eyes in the room pointed at him, it felt like the school cafeteria all over again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Team,” Mr. Stark said he still had his hand planted firmly on Peter’s back. “This is Peter Parker, also known as Spider-man. Peter, meet the Avengers.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter felt pretty stupid waving, but it was the only thing he could manage to do. Mr. Stark gave a little squeeze to his shoulder and he said a very meek. “Hi.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s nice to officially meet you,” Steve spoke up, he gave Peter a very wide and calming smile. It did very little to relax him, but he tried to look a little less scared out of his mind. He had no idea why he was still so scared, he wanted this to happen so much. He wanted to meet the team, meet his idols. He wanted them to like him, to know that Peter was good at what he did. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Um,” he started, not really knowing where to go with it. “Nice to meet you all, uh, thanks for inviting me over for dinner.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mr. Stark gently guided Peter forward until he arrived at the table. He gently deposited Peter in an empty seat and sat down on his left side. The chair on his right remained empty of anyone. He looked up briefly, the table was covered in pizza boxes and other take out. The room was still deadly silent, all eyes seemed to be glued back onto Peter as if they were just waiting for him to do something.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Um,” Peter said mostly to the table he was looking down at.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mr. Stark cleared his throat loudly, the sound made Peter flinch slightly. “Okay, let’s just talk about this. We all need to make the kid here feel a little better about his recent incident. So, raise your hand if you have either an accident, on purpose, or not in control of your facilities, hurt your teammate?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everyone raised their hands, Mr. Stark looked at Peter, who raised his slightly. “See, Pete? We’ve all roughed each other up a bit. No one’s going to judge you on it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter lowered his hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m just jealous you got to strangle Tony,” Clint started. “It’s something I dream about doing sometimes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Haha,” Mr. Stark rolled his eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The table seemed to come alive again after the remark and a part of Peter felt just a little bit better. Maybe it was nice to know he wasn’t the only one who’d lost control before. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Peter,” Clint called out to him, he looked over at him. “I’ve heard some interesting things about Spidey. Do tell us, what’s your secret?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter shrugged, looking over at Mr. Stark. He didn’t know how much he should spill, but he figured they’d learn eventually. “I’ve got uh, spider-like abilities?” He realized just how lame it sounded when he said it like that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The kid,” Mr. Stark said a little louder, “has got a lot of abilities. Go on, Pete. Tell ‘um.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh, I’m sure agile, I’m strong too, faster than I was before..,” he trailed, “oh and I have a sixth sense that warns me about danger.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Peter Tingle,” Mr. Stark said with way too much enjoyment, there was a smattering of laughter around the table.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter rolled his eyes. “Nooo, spider-sense, please? Can we just call it that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nope, sorry. I’m in charge of naming things here, what I say goes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter chose to ignore him. “Anyway, my sixth sense lets me know when something is going to be -” he reached out and caught the spoon Sam had just thrown at him. “coming at me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Damn,” Sam whistled. “Impressive.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And not to mention the whole climbing on walls thing,” Natasha spoke up, “suit or you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Me,” he said, “am sticky.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Heard you can catch cars and buses with your bare hands?” Steve asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter tried to hide the blush on his face but knew he couldn’t. “Yeah, we haven’t figured out how strong I am, but uh, yeah they weren’t even all that heavy. I lifted a building off myself once too, I think that was the hardest.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, alright,” Mr. Stark said, “enough complimenting my kid, he’s ego is going to be too big to fit into the door.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter ducked his head down with a grin, he reached over and grabbed a slice of cheese pizza. Dinner went well after that, Peter talked to almost everyone, even if it was just a few words here and there. No one seemed mad, they all seemed glad to talk to Peter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When they finished eating, he was invited to join them in the living room instead. He followed behind Mr. Stark, but Natasha stopped him when they walked into the room and took him aside. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I heard you might need some training when it comes to hand to hand combat,” she said, casually. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh,” Peter said, “really?” Out of all the things he thought she’d say, this was not one of them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, really. I know you use your webs and abilities to get around, but you should still have some hand to hand combat training, just in case. You can’t always rely on those to help you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter thought for a second. “Yeah, I think I’d like that. Although do you think we can focus more on defense? I’m not a real big fan of uh, offense.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She smiled at him. “Sure thing. I’ll talk to Tony about arranging a training schedule with me. It might not be every week, but we can work something out. There's both a gym here and at the Tower.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh,” Peter said, his eyes widened, he didn’t think she was offering herself as his training partner. “You’d be okay with that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why wouldn’t I be?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, thanks, yeah that sounds good,” he said with a small squeak, his voice cracking just a little. She turned and they walked together into the living room. Everyone else had already sat down, but there was an open seat next to Mr. Stark, one that Peter took without invitation. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Whatever tension had been in the room at the start of dinner, was long gone. No one brought up Sandhurst again or mind control in general. Peter talked a little to almost everyone, answered questions about his life and school work. Talked a little more about being Spider-man too. Whatever dream Peter had about finally meeting the Avengers didn’t compare to actually meeting them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>By the time he was getting ready to leave, he felt something lift from his shoulders, something he hadn’t realized was there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>+</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mr. Stark offered to drive Peter back into the city instead of going with Happy. He hesitated for a moment, it would be the first time they’d be truly alone for a long time. But seeing the look on Mr. Stark’s face, his request sounded so genuine he agreed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They drove in silence for a few minutes before Mr. Stark started talking. “Everything finally getting back to normal?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Peter answered. “Things are pretty good.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The reports leaving you alone now too? I know most of them have seemed to back off, but sometimes a few of them can be a little too zealous. Stark Industries is ready to send out scary lawyer letters if anyone is really bothering you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, it’s been good. I haven’t seen any at school or my house. When I went into Nano, I used the back entrance but I don't think a lot of them were out front. So uh, thank you for that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course, it was something we should have done from the start.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They went back to a comfortable silence, it reminded Peter of lab days when they’d both get so involved in their work, no one would talk for hours sometimes. It was nice to feel that way with Mr. Stark again. He didn’t realize how much he missed it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We haven’t really talked about what’s going to happen with your internship. If you don’t want to talk about it now, that’s fine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh,” Peter said simply. He thought for a moment about it, it wasn’t as if this hadn’t gone through his head a lot. He wanted to go back, he did miss it and his feelings towards Mr. Stark were still a little uncertain. He knew they would eventually have to talk about it, he might as well do it now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know you wanted space, I’m just being pushy now. The truth of the matter is I really do miss you having around.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As much as he wanted Mr. Stark to back off, he knew the man pretty well. He was just surprised he lasted as long as he did before bringing it up. “Can I ask you another question? Full disclosure.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure thing, kid.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you mean what you said about me to the press? Like, actually mean it and not just wanting to sound good or something.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter couldn’t look at Mr. Stark when he asked the question, he kept his eyes locked on the road before them. It was dark outside, there weren’t any street lamps, the only light was from the headlights of the car. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“When I first met you kid, I didn’t think this was where we’d wind up. I was more interested in my own needs, I just wanted to bring you to the fight and then put you right back where I found you. But then you opened your mouth and suddenly I found myself worried about you. I don’t know where it came from, but I wanted to protect you at all costs, kid. The more I saw you, the more we talked, the more I realized how smart and clever you are. It might come as a surprise to you, but I have no idea what I’m doing when it comes to mentoring anyone. But yeah, Pete, I meant what I said to the press about you. It’s my fault I didn’t do a good job of making sure you knew that. Just because I went about it the stupid way, didn’t make it less true. And you can still be mad at me for that. You can be mad for as long as you want, I’m just impatient.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were just words, Peter knew that but they meant something a lot more to him than he thought they would. He wanted to believe him, wanted to think that Mr. Stark cared and would show him that and not just ignore him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When he didn’t speak, Mr. Stark started talking again. “Listen, kid. Before all this went down, you were right, I wasn’t treating you very fairly. I said I’d watch out for you, but I wasn’t doing a good job. I don’t know if you’ve noticed but I’m not good at things like this but I’m attempting to be better. So I’d like to try working on this mentoring thing if you’re willing. I can’t promise you I won’t mess up again, but I want to make the effort to do this better.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter thought about what he wanted to say, thinking about what he’d gone through the last few months. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know you meant well, I think, at least now I do,” Peter said carefully. “But you really did hurt my feelings. Even without Sandhurst, I was really unhappy about all of it. I’m willing to forgive you, I want to forgive you. So, yeah, I mean, if you want me to come back to the lab again, then I’d like to come back again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good,” Mr. Stark replied. “Start coming over on Mondays again, heck if you want to come over Fridays after Nano, that’s open too. I might have to reschedule a few times, but I’ll make this work.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And uh, one more thing,” Peter started, trying to summon up the courage to bring his thoughts up. He didn’t know how Mr. Stark would feel about it but he thought it might be worth it. “I know I’ve said I don’t want all the media attention, but I was thinking that maybe I can start an internship Twitter account? Just to post stuff about being in the lab, it might make people a little less curious about me. And you know, I can control a little of what’s out there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mr. Stark grinned. “I like that idea, kid. I’m sure Pep and the PR department wouldn’t mind. If they allow me to have one unsupervised, I don’t think you’ll be a problem.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cool. Thanks, Mr. Stark.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“When are you going to start calling me Tony? I think we passed the whole Mr. Stark business.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter shrugged. “Sorry, Mr. Stark I was taught to respect my elders.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mr. Stark’s loud laughter was enough to make Peter grin. Things weren't going to be better after one conversation, it might take awhile but Peter was okay with that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But this was a good first step. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>+</span>
</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
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</div><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So, I tend not to do very long author notes, but I’d like to provide some insight as to my intentions with this story. The story I wanted to tell from the start was one with an unreliable narrator. It’s a trope that I love and have written in the past and I feel doesn’t get used in fics very often. My gut feeling was to use Venom in the story but I went with Basil Sandhurst (The Controller in comics) because he's an Iron Man villain and he's a bit unexpected.  </p><p>My intentions were always to make Peter’s choices and feelings justifiable within the story (in the perspective of Peter) and there’s nothing wrong with agreeing with him! My intentions were for Sandhurst not to create the problem, but to stumble upon it and take advantage of it. Take advantage of who Peter was, a nice guy who wanted to do the right thing. And to take that nice guy and push him until he wasn’t a nice guy, push him until he wasn’t in control of who he really is. </p><p>In a perfect world, had Sandhurst not been there, Peter would have eventually talked to him about it. Instead, with Sandhurst’s manipulation, Peter kept those feelings bottled up. Sandhurst was preventing Peter from being able to both come to terms with how he felt and for Peter to talk about it.</p><p>Was Peter overreacting at some points? Yes. The story is told through his unreliable viewpoint, he was reading into a lot of what people were saying to him and not communicating those feelings. After he punched Flash, he saw MJ and Ned looking at him like they were scared of him, all he heard was them telling him that’s NOT him. Did they really say those things? Did they really intend for them to come off like that? I don’t think so. I think as Ned says in the story, it shocked them seeing Peter go from 0 to 100. They didn’t know how Peter was feeling, they didn’t see how angry and upset he was about everything. They didn’t think Peter was “weak” but they saw he was pulling away from them. I know some people might think Peter's wrong in apologizing to Flash but at the end of the day, in my mind, that’s Peter Parker for you. The kids got a heart of gold.</p><p>I wanted the conclusion of the story to show just how much Peter was conflicted about his feelings and less about whether or not he was right in feeling them. He doesn’t like to use violence because he knows what kind of damage he could do to someone if he were to lose control and that’s where I wanted the crux of his guilt to lie in. Especially since he did hurt Tony. </p><p>As for Tony, well he made some bad choices, he recognized that (as to how much he learned from it? eh?) and he’s trying to show Peter that he respects him. I didn’t want to make Tony unforgivable and if some people see it that way - that’s totally fine. I didn’t want a happy to lucky ending and I tried to create something that fell in between downer and happy. Is everything okay? Nope. Are things getting better? Yeah. Is Tony going to change? Meh, it’s Tony, he’ll get there eventually.</p><p>The social media aspect for me was to provide an outsider point of view using Twitter. Peter’s obsession with what he can’t control (ie: what the internet thinks of him) was used to provide more fuel to the fire. Had Sandhurst not been there, the story would have still played out the same but Peter might have been more inclined to tell someone (ie: Tony) how he felt. For Peter the social media was only proving his point and he took what they said as to be what everyone who knew him also thought about him.</p><p>All that said, I’m a firm believer in the Death of the Author (https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DeathOfTheAuthor) and your interpretations of the story are just that - your own. If you don’t like a part of it, the ending, the middle… etc, then that’s totally fine on my end! My only goal in writing this (and everything else I’ve written) is to set free the wild plot bunnies that roam my brain, it’s the readers job to interrupt them.</p><p>And finally, thank you all for your comments and kudos, they really do mean the world to me. I hope if anyone continues on to my other works (there’s a lot and there’s more coming) you enjoy them as well. :) :)</p>
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